What's cookin'? - Ham BBQ (A Pittsburgh tradition)

 Ham Barbecue

Growing up in Pittsburgh, everyone knew what ham barbecue was, and almost everyone's mom made it. We ate it at picnics. We ate it during the Steeler games on Sundays. My mother-in-law still makes it when we come to visit.

I thought everyone knew what it was. My first realization that it was only a Pittsburgh dish occurred about 15 years ago when we lived in York, PA. I had some of my stamping downline group over for dinner and I made this easy, traditional dish in order to feed the masses. Everybody loved it!  My "upline"
was on the phone with her husband and told him that I had made "some sweet and sour ham sandwich thing" that was really good. I giggled, thinking that she had never eaten it before. Turns out no one there had ever heard of it before.

Well, I thought, chalk that up to the regional differences between South Central PA and Pittsburgh. Like "jumbo" and "gumbands". No one knows what the hell you are talking about!

Then we moved to Connecticut - even farther away!  

It was bad enough in York when I had to ask for "minced bologna" at the deli counter in order to get my beloved "jumbo " - now I have to pull my hair up in an "elastic" because no one has ever heard of a "gumband"! Hahaha

Anyway, I made my mother-in-law's ham barbecue recipe here for a stamping/ scrapbooking recipe swap a few years ago. Once again, everybody loved it but no one had ever heard of it!

If you are from Pittsburgh and you are reading this - you know exactly what I'm talking about! Go "dahn" to the "Shop and Save"  or "Gieagle" and get yourself some Isaly's chipped ham for this recipe because it's the best!

If you're NOT from Pittsburgh, you want to go to your deli and ask for chopped ham, but ask them to "chip" or "shave" it - whatever they use for really, really thin little pieces/slices. Get ready for them to look at you like you have three heads....

If you are like me, you buy Isley's chipped when you are home in Pittsburgh for a visit and take it back with you! That way, you save yourself the hassle of asking the person behind the deli counter to "chip" or "shave" 3 pounds of chopped ham for you! In Pittsburgh, they already have it prepared like that - they just reach in and grab it, throw it in a bag!

Here is the recipe that I use. It is from my mother-in-law and it is the best!

Ham barbecue is great for an informal dinner and/or feeding lots of people. Try it at your next get-together (or next year before a Steeler game)!

•  2 T butter

•  1/4 c onion, chopped

•  1/4 c ketchup 

•  1/4 cider vinegar

•  1 T Worcestershire sauce 

•  1 can tomato soup

•  1/2-1 c brown sugar

•  1/8 t ground black pepper

•  3 lbs. "chipped" chopped ham**(see note)

** In a large pot, melt butter over moderate heat. Add onions - cook until soft (about five minutes).

** Add all other ingredients except ham. Cook to a low boil, tasting to adjust amount of brown sugar. (I use almost a whole cup in mine.) 

** Add ham and stir. Cook until heated through.

Serve on buns. 

**note (edited 4/22/15)

 I've come to realize that 3 pounds of ham is more of a guideline.

The last two times I made this I have only used 2 pounds, and had 1 pound left over for regular sandwiches.

Maybe it's the "better to have more than enough then not enough" Italian way of thinking....

Or, if you really need to make that extra pound of meat - better have extra ingredients on hand, not quite doubling the recipe.