Free Country ham Recipe

1 (14 pound) country ham
1 quart Coca-Cola®
1 teaspoon whole cloves
6 whole allspice
6 peppercorns
Water to cover

Soak the ham overnight covered in water. Cut ham hock off with a hacksaw so the ham will fit in your pot or roaster.

Put Coca-Cola®, cloves, allspice and peppercorns in a large pot to which the ham has been added. Cover with water. Simmer ham for 25 minutes per pound.

Partly cool ham in water in which it was cooked. Skin the ham. Trim fat to 1/2-inch thickness. Stud entire ham with whole cloves placed 1/4 inch apart. Cover ham and cloves with a 1/2 inch layer of dark brown sugar. Bake ham at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Put a mixture of 1 cup Coca-Cola® and 1 cup water in the pan to prevent burning. You may have to renew some of the water. If the sugar gets very black, turn heat down to 250 degrees F and bake an extra 30 minutes. The sugar should be caramelized with a dark brown, almost black, appearance. Cool, then slice thinly.