Leftover Spiral Cut Ham and Split Pea Soup

I hate to throw food out, especially if it’s still good and tasty. So, one day, some leftover spiral cut ham and bone was donated to me by a very good friend. What was I supposed to do, I said thank you and took it home. As with everything I’m not too sure what to do with, I stuck in the freezer so I could think about it for a while. And, after thinking about it, I decided to make soup. Here we have leftover spiral cut ham and split pea soup, it’s really quite good.

Well, it all starts with a ham. In this case, “wet” cured ham. This process involves “brining” the cut of pork. There are two ways of doing this, either submerging in salt water for a couple of weeks. Or, injecting the brine solution directly into the meat, which is much quicker. It is subsequently smoked, and, finally put in a machine that slices a single spiral cut the entire length of the meat. Although pork has been cured for millennia. The machine and a specific cooking and curing procedure were invented and patented by Harry Hoenselaar, he also founded The Honey baked Ham Company in 1957

We’ve all had some. Mr. Hoenselaar created a specific curing and smoking process to create a specific flavor. And then, there’s the glaze, applied during the baking of the ham to add the sweet maple brown sugar taste. Unfortunately the whole thing is full of salt and sugar, definitely something to be eaten in moderation. But, as with all things that may not be good for you, it tastes delicious.

I love split peas, and, they are good for you. They’re high in protein and dietary fiber and low in fat. Sort of offsets the badness of the ham. We have been harvesting them and cooking them for thousands of years. They are popular in southern Europe, the middle east and India. Adding the ham gives it a flavor component, I mean, who doesn’t like bacon. Now, adding the spiral ham is more than just the ham flavor, it also has the sweetness from the glaze. I certainly thought it would be worth a try. And, with my trusted slow cooker, it’s such an easy recipe.

As with all soups and stews, it starts with a mirepoix. Carrots, onions and celery chopped fine. It creates the savory base. Because this is part of a slow cooker recipe, I don’t need to sauté them first, they’re going to cook for 10hrs. So they go in the slow cooker raw. To that, I add the leftover spiral cut ham and bone. A bag of split peas and chicken stock sufficient to cover everything generously, about an inch of stock above the ingredients. The peas will absorb some liquid as they cook. Normally some herbs would be added at this point, but that ham is just loaded with so much, I’ll just let it be the star of the party.

That’s it, turn the slow cooker to low and walk away. And that’s why I love my slow cooker. I think it’s one of those essential kitchen gadgets. The idea is that all the meat will separate from the bone, so, you really can’t overcook this one. Let it cook all day, 10 hrs is fine. And, that’s it, leftover spiral ham and split pea soup. Now, I’ll agree, split pea soup is not the prettiest soup, however, what it lacks in looks, sure makes up in flavor. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bones and cartilage, also break up any clumps of meat. As with anything that’s been cooking for 10 hrs, allow it to cool for 10 minutes, serve and garnish with seasoned croutons. Enjoy and thank you for reading