Best Boiled Ham and Cabbage

There's nothing like a steaming pot of boiled ham and cabbage on a cold evening. The hearty, homey flavor makes for such a perfect comfort food that your family will never notice that all those veggies are good for them. The nutritional information is going to be off because the veggie amounts are sized for 6-8 servings, but the ham will leave you with plenty of leftovers to use in the many wonderful dishes that call for ham. Use any, all, or none of the optional veggies according to availability and personal taste.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 8 -12  lbs  half ham or 8 -12  lbs  smoked pork shoulder
• 6 -8  small onions, peeled
• 6 -8  small  red potatoes, scrubbed
• 6 -8  carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
• 2 -3  parsnips, peeled and cut in chunks (optional)
• 1 -2  celeriac, bulbs peeled and cut in chunks (optional)
• 1 -2  turnips (optional) or 1 -2  rutabaga, peeled and cut in chunks (optional)
• 1  medium cabbage, cut in 6-8 wedges
• 12 -15  whole cloves
•  fresh ground black pepper
•  butter (optional)
•  cold water

Directions

1. Remove the ham from its wrappings. Cut off the skin and make sure you remove the plastic thing that covers the end of the bone.
2. Stud the ham with the whole cloves, distributing them evenly over the surface.
3. Put ham and onions into a very large pot and cover with COLD water. Its important to use cold water because it draws the excess salt out of the meat and makes a more flavorful broth.
4. Bring to a boil slowly over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add all the veggies except the cabbage. Raise heat and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer another 15 minutes or until the largest potatoes are nearly cooked.
6. Add the cabbage wedges. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Simmer another 10-20 minutes until cabbage is cooked but not mushy.
7. Use a large, slotted, serving spoon to remove all the veggies to a large serving dish.
8. Lift ham onto a platter and carve off a suitable number of servings for the meal.
9. Serve each person a slice of ham and a portion of each vegetable. Grind black pepper over the plate and offer butter for the potatoes and other roots if desired.