St. Andrew's Ham Loaf and Spicy Mustard Sauce

Portion sizes at the annual St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Ham Loaf Dinner are huge. Yet, after we finished leftovers, we hadn’t had quite enough. So, we headed for Zey’s Market, the grocery store that prepares the three-meat mixture used in the church’s famous loaf. Their family size version even includes a recipe. After preparing the loaf, I divided it in between two smaller loaf pans and put both in the freezer to enjoy later. When it was time for ham loaf, I also prepared some the church’s standard sides—Creamed Potatoes, slaw, rolls and of course the requisite mustard sauce. Jill’s Mustard Sauce originated with Jill Royer, the force behind the church dinner that began in the early 1960s.  

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf     Make 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (after crushing) corn flakes

1 (3-lb.) ham loaf mix (made up of 1 lb. each ground beef, pork & ham)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in crushed corn flakes and let soak until mixture is very soft.
   
2. Next mix in ham loaf mix, brown sugar and mustard; mix thoroughly without over mixing. 
   
   
   

   
3. Add to greased or sprayed baking pan(s) or dish. 
   
4. Bake large loaf for 1 hour; smaller loaves for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350° oven — Ham loaf is officially done baking when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°.  
   
   
   

   

   Ham Loaf & Spicy Mustard Sauce served with Mom's Slaw w/ Celery Seed Dressing, Creamed Potatoes (made by adding White Sauce to boiled potatoes) and Fluffy Rolls.

A word or two about the Mustard Sauce — I knew I had a hand written recipe card in my recipe box this sauce. Details of where it came from or who gave it to me are long gone. As I reviewed the recipe I was rather astonished at the amount of dry mustard in proportion to the rest of the ingredients. Dry mustard by itself has no flavor or taste but when combined with liquid, it releases the essential oil responsivle for its piquant zing of flavor—which is a nice way of saying “the stuff is HOT”! Worried that perhaps the zing might be a bit much, I checked with a couple of church members and they verified amounts; I even found a similar recipe online that used 1 1/4 cups of dry mustard instead of 1 cup. So I proceeded according to the directions that follow. 

HOWEVER, IF I MAKE IT AGAIN, I WILL DEFINITELY CUT THE MUSTARD DOWN BY AT LEAST A FOURTH (maybe more). Although it is the perfect sauce for ham loaf, it is just a bit hot even for me . . . and I welcome hot and spicy! 

 

Jill’s Mustard Sauce  Makes 1 1/2 pints (could be cut in half for smaller batch)

1 cup dry mustard (such as Coleman’s® brand)

1 cup white vinegar

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1 jigger sherry (2 fluid ounces)

1. In a large heatproof saucepan, mix dry mustard and vinegar. Cover and let set overnight.
2. Next day, mix in eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt.
3. Place heatproof saucepan on top of a saucepan of boiling water to create a double boiler (water should not touch bottom of saucepan). 
4. Boil mixture, stirring often, until it’s the consistency of a thin custard and coats a metal spoon—about 10 minutes.
5. Add a jigger of sherry.
   

Ham Loaf recipe without photos . . .

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf     Make 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (after crushing) corn flakes

1 (3-lb.) ham loaf mix (made up of 1 lb. each ground beef, pork & ham)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in crushed corn flakes and let soak until mixture is very soft.
2. Next mix in ham loaf mix, brown sugar and mustard; mix thoroughly without over mixing. 
3. Add to greased or sprayed baking pan(s) or dish. 
4. Bake large loaf for 1 hour; smaller loaves for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350° oven — Ham loaf is officially done baking when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°.