Nannie's Sweet and Savory Ham Loaf

In the 1950s, my grandmother borrowed this ham loaf recipe from a neighbor in DuPont, Washington, and it's been a family favorite ever since. The sauce is key: like my uncle said when my aunt tried to make it more healthful, "If you don't make the sauce, please don't bother."

Tonight I made it for the first time. I didn't think it would be simple, but Shane and a friend started our fence replacement project this afternoon, so I figured I could putter around in the kitchen and stay out of the way. It actually turned out to be a pretty simple recipe.

Before I started the famous sauce, I got busy making the ham loaf:

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground ham (cooked) - I used a food processor to grind the ham.

1 1/2 lbs ground pork sausage

1 cup oatmeal

2 eggs

1 cup milk

salt and pepper

Mix these ingredients well. I started with a spoon, but ended up using my hands to make sure I'd mixed everything thoroughly. Press into 2 loaf pans. No need to grease them, especially if they're nonstick. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, back to the important stuff: the sauce. The sauce actually requires two parts, but is far more simple than it sounds.

Sauce Step #1

Ingredients;
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Melt these three key ingredients and stir to blend. Cool a bit after melted, but warmer than room temperature.

 Sauce Step #2

Ingredients

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1/2 can tomato soup

Mix the ingredients for Step #2 in a bowl, then combine with the cooled ingredients from Step #1. Return to the pan and heat until thickened, stirring regularly.

I would have posted pictures of the finished product, but we were all starving: me from smelling the delicious aromas while cooking, and the guys from tearing down the old fence and digging holes for the posts they'll install tomorrow. All I can say is, it tasted almost as good as when Nannie used to make it.