This is a recipe from Ken Hom, an author of a number of excellentChinese cookbooks.This is a "red-stewed" dish.(No reflection onKen's politics...) The sauce can be kept as a "master sauce" andused over and over again gaining more subtlety and depth the longeryou keep it going. Either freeze it or refrigerate and boil once aweek.Author's note:"This dish is easy to prepare, and can be made aheadof time.It reheats well and is also very good served cold++prefectfor a dinner party or large gathering."Dry the ham thoroughly with paper towels.Cut the green onions into3-inch segmentsChoose a heavy casserole pot, large enough to hold the hamcomfortably. Heat the pot and then add the oil, ginger, garlic andgreen onions, and stir-fry in the pot for 2 minutes.Push thearomatics to the side and brown the ham on each side until it hassome color, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour off oil.Add all the braising liquid ingredients to the pot and bring themixture to a boil.Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover tightly,turning the ham from time to time.When the ham is tender, remove itgently with a large spatula.The meat should be literally fallingapart. Place it on a serving platter.Strain the sauce, skim off any surface fat and reduce the liquiduntil it is slightly thick.Pour this over the ham and serve.Serves 8 as part of a Chinese meal.Posted by Stephen Ceideburg; February 14 1991.
