German Kloppschinken: Encrusted Ham

This dish is from the German region of Mecklenburg, which borders on the Baltic Sea (German: "Ostsee;" that is, "East Sea"). Mecklenburg is part of the German state of "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern," with the latter literally being "Fore Pommerania;" that is, "forward part of Pomerania," but often rendered as, "West(ern) Pommerania," in English. About 900 years ago, "Pomerania" was populated ("perhaps" sparsely so?) by Slavic people, who later "mixed" with the incoming Germans, who then took control of the area, with many of the Slavic elements thus losing their Slavic identity, although in the eastern part (near Poland), Slavic dialects and identity persisted. Pomerania is located along a stretch of coast of the Baltic Sea and during the period of Napoleon, the western part was under Swedish rule, with the larger part being part of the (then) German state of Prussia. After World War Two, most of Pomerania was ceded to the newly reformed Poland, with the exception of Vorpommern. The area fell within the Soviet occupation zone, and thus, it became part of the German Democratic Republic, most commonly called "East Germany" in Britain and the U.S. The Germans who settled there 900 years ago were Low German speakers; thus, the area remained so until the last century or two, as standard German was taught in schools, although Low German continued to be frequently spoken in every day life there until more recent times, and the number of inhabitants who are actually fluent in Low German has declined. So the "Klopp" part of name of the dish for this article is actually Low German, but it is "Klopfschinken" in standard German; that is, "knock or tap ham" (the German verb "klopfen" means "to knock, to tap, to rap") from the notion of "knocking or tapping on the crust to break it to get to the ham." Low German "Klopp" and standard German "Klopfen" are related to English "clap," as these words initially developed from the idea of the sound produced, rather than the action; thus the usage, "clap of thunder" (as a noun).

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked ham, cut into 4 slices (1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick)
1 cup milk (more if needed)
2/3 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs (not panko style)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
oil or clarified butter for frying
1 tablespoon oil (for batter)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak the ham slices in milk for about 2 hours. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Combine the other ingredients, except oil or clarified butter, into a thick batter. Pat ham slices dry and dip into the thick batter, coat well all over. Fry ham slices on both sides until golden brown. When tapping the ham with a fork or spoon, there should be a sound similar to the sound of tapping a loaf of freshly baked bread.   

Mustard greens are delicious, with a horseradish flavor, especially when uncooked. They are available in many produce sections of supermarkets, often sold in bags with the large stems already removed and with the mustard greens chopped, or you can also buy mustard greens in individual bunches that you must trim and chop yourself (this is what I buy). My grandmother used spinach for a similar dish (she used no chili pepper).

Braised Mustard Greens

2 pounds mustard greens, trimmed from any big stems
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeño chili, chopped
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a heavy bottom skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and fry about two minutes, then add the garlic and the chili pepper. Cook until the onion softens a good deal. Add the beef stock, then about a minute later, add the sugar, then the vinegar. Stir well. Add the mustard greens, which will cook down. Season with salt and pepper and stir. When the greens cook down, remove the skillet from the heat. I prefer the greens themselves to cook only a couple of minutes; just until they cook down, but still have a little "life" in them.

"Kloppschinken" with braised mustard greens

WORD HISTORY: 
Shank-This word goes back to Indo European "skeng," which had the notion of "crooked, bent." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "skankon," which continued the general meaning, but also developed the more specific meaning "leg," from the notion of "the part that bends." In some Germanic dialects the meaning "awry, askew" developed from the "crooked, bent" idea. The Old Germanic form gave Old English "sceanca," which meant "leg." This later became "shanke," before the modern form, and the meaning tended to be applied to the "upper part of the leg." Related forms in other Germanic languages are: German "Schenkel" = thigh, leg;^ Dutch "schenkel" =knuckle, leg; West Frisian "shonk" =leg; Low German "Schanke" (now archaic); Icelandic "shakkur" ="mistaken, awry;" ^^ Norwegian "skank" =shank, calf of leg; I could not find a modern word in Swedish or Danish.

^ Typically modern German uses "Oberschenkel" (literally translated into English as "over /upper shank") for "upper leg," and "Unterschenkel" (literally "under shank") for "lower leg," but "Schenkel" is still in use. "Schinken," the German word for "ham," developed from the same Germanic form that produced English "shank" and German "Schenkel;" so, "the meat from the 'Schenkel'. "

^^ Old Norse, the forerunner of Icelandic, had "skakkr," with similar meaning, and it "may" have originally been "skankr," but the "n" sound died out.