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History
According to St. Mary's County ledgend, Stuffed Ham originaed from slavery prior to the Civil War. Farm owners would butcher their hogs every fall and give the heads of the hogs to the slaves on their farm. There is very little meat in the head of the hog, so slaves would stuff field greens in the jawls of the hog to augment the meal. The head was then boiled for several hours with the greens, onions and whatever spices avialable and serve at fall meals and celebrations. As with many slave traditions, slave owners borrowed this meal and made it themselves. Instead of using the hog head, slave owners used a corned ham, with the bone remeoved, and stuffed the field greens, onions, spices, etc. into the cavity left by the bone. Thus stuffed ham was born! Today stuffed ham is cooked much the same way. It is stuffed, boiled for hours and served at many fall & winter celebrations.
Please call Kevin Hill for any further information.
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