Cooking with Chef Jo: Cockeyed Devilished Ham

Did Santa bring you what you wanted?
You cooked a Christmas ham and you have leftovers coming out your ears. Isn't that always the way it goes even after sending home bunches of plates home with everyone?

I do several things with my leftovers. I'll slice the leftovers a couple of different ways. First in slices thick and thin for sealing and freezing for sandwiches or ham steaks. For those nights later, on when I'm too tired to cook and I'm hungry. I'll cut them in large 1"-2" chunks and pressure can some in pint jars. Pint jars come in handy for making deviled ham, and ham salads or even to add to soups, or use it for meals as the main attraction long after the not-ham-again feeling has left you. I always save the bones too. Nothing is better to add to a pot of greens or beans later. You can even use several to make bone broth for your food stores. I'm not telling you anything new. You came here today for a recipe or Cooking/preserving how-to.So on to my recipe.

For this you'll need two lbs of bits and pieces of ham. Usually this is not a problem when you bought a bone in ham. There's usually plenty left on the bone to get this. You are going to dice about half into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes and grind the rest. But hold off grinding it just yet.

Cockeyed Devilished Ham
Quantity- approximately 2 1/2 lbs

2 lbs of ham, prepared as above
1/2 a large onion, about 1 cup diced
4 ribs of celery, about 1/2 cup diced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and rough chopped
1/3 cup pickle relish
2 tsp parsley
2 good shakes of hot sauce (Tabasco, or Sriracha) add more if you like it really hot
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs Gluden's spicy brown mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

How to

•  Mix 1 lb of ham with onions, celery, pickle relish, and eggs in a bowl.
• In your food processor, blender, or meat grinder, grind this mixture until it is very fine almost a paste.
• Mix in your cubed ham and stir well.
• At this point, you can divide the mixture in half (unless you are feeding a crowd), seal it, and freeze it for later use.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

To Serve
Spread on bread or toast with a slice of fresh tomato and lettuce leaf. Or, mix the cup of devilish ham into 1/2 lb of cooked pasta for a salad. Or, scoop on top of a green salad with cherry tomatoes.

You can even substitute beef, or poultry, or whatever leftover meat you have for the ham. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Jo