By Kevin Williams
Related Recipe: Homemade Ham Loaf
Ham is popular year-round in Amish kitchens, most get their supply during the late-wintering butchering season.
Whether it’s butchering beef, pork, or poultry, the cold months mean stocking up on meat which means you can enjoy it year-round including in the hot month of August. Butchering is a hot, messy job that the whole family pitches in to accomplish. Who wants to be up to their elbows in lard and beef on a roasting July day? That’s why the hard work of putting up meat is done during winter. February is a popular month. The bustle of the holidays are behind and the task of putting out a spring garden lays ahead. The butchering is often done outdoors or in a shed so a cold winter’s day will keep the meat fresh. During a frigid February flies are non-existent and the work isn’t as grueling.
A favorite dish among the Amish at hog butchering time is a dish known as pon hoss (or haus). It is more widely known by the name “scrapple.” As the name implies, this is a pork dish comprised largely of “scraps”, portions of the pig that might not be part of one’s Christmas ham.
But ham, pork, bacon, side meat, etc are all popular year-round. Try this casserole!
- 4 cups potatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 cups diced ham
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1-½ cups evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Dash pepper
- McCormick paprika, for garnish (optional)
- PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Let it cook for a minute and then add the milk; season with salt and pepper.
- While stirring, bring the mixture to a slow boil.
- Place half of the sliced potatoes in a greased casserole dish. Add half the ham. Cover with half of the sauce. Repeat and sprinkle the top with paprika.
- Bake for 1 hour and serve.
