Joe-
Too early to tell. As I have told here, the Cape Girardeau source of my Missouri country hams for twenty or so years abruptly went out of business, and after some Internet thrashing around, I got a cooked Kentucky country ham (which ain't usually too shabby) which I will warm tomorrow, skin, score, and prepare for reheating on Christmas day.
-Put a clove in each score diamond, slather with mustard-brown sugar-orange juice topping, and warm up well for dinner. I'm hoping for the best, and I will let you know how it turns out.
Funny coincidence- several weeks ago at the local Home Foods I encountered a nice young man who was promoting samples of his family's grass-fed beef. His literature said it was Aberdeen Angus and from Missouri. I asked... where?
He said a town near Cape - I said my father grew up on a farm in Jackson, just up the road from Cape, and my uncle was VERY big in the Angus show cattle circuit.
He knew my uncle.
I asked him if he was aware that Esicar's Smoke House in Cape had just closed, screwing up my Christmas ham plans. He gave me a funny look and said his family was in negotiations to buy Esicar's. I told him he had just found a customer if they got it going again.
Small world.
Merry Christmas Joe, and I hope you have a happy and healthy New Year!
Mike