By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS
County Extension Director, Extension Educator Health and Human Sciences, Purdue Extension Elkhart County

GOSHEN — What makes a good sandwich? From talking to people and my own experience I think it takes many ingredients to make a great tasting ham sandwich. A real bonus to me are the planned-overs following preparation of a meal and especially a holiday meal when you have foods that you don’t prepare every day.

Ham is pork that has been preserved through salting, smoking or wet curing. It was traditionally made only from the hind leg of swine, and referred to that specific cut of pork. Ham is made around the world, including a number of highly coveted regional specialties, such as Westphalian ham and Jamón serrano. Technically a processed meat, “ham” may refer to a product which has been through mechanical re-forming.

The word ham comes from the Old English hamm. George A. Hormel & Company pioneered canned hams in America in 1926. Country ham is first mentioned in print in 1944, referring to a method of curing and smoking done in the rural sections of Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vermont and other nearby states.

To the ham sandwich I prefer ham from a ham that I have baked and seasoned in my oven. There is a difference in the flavor when it is baked like this versus ham that you buy from the deli. I think you can make a good sandwich from deli ham but the flavor is never the same. So, the main ingredient for the tasty ham sandwich is the ham. I like it thinly sliced so a piece of spiral sliced ham or a piece I have sliced is just fine. Then I want to warm that slice in my cast iron skillet, but any kind of skillet would do. While the ham is warming grab a cheese slice of your choice and lay it on the ham and let it melt.

Next the bread of your choice. I know that for some of you the sandwich is now finished, but not for myself or many of you. I agree the ham makes the sandwich, but I want lots of ingredients to add on. Adding some of your favorite mustard be it honey, cracked pepper of any of the other flavors or better yet how about some ground horseradish.

Now for the vegetables; sliced tomatoes, sweet pickles, and whatever else your taste buds think that should be added. A couple of thanksgivings ago or so I added cranberry relish to a turkey sandwich and that was really quite tasty.

I am only writing to tell you how to create a flavorful ham sandwich, I will acknowledge that the great taste made for a messy sandwich that you might need to use a knife and fork to eat. So here is to planned-overs and trying different combinations of foods for a great ham sandwich. Enjoy