I lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years and a favorite lunch and picnic food in Western Pennsylvania is "chip-chopped" ham a.k.a. "Pittsburgh style" ham. Chopped ham is a mixture of ham chunks, trimmings and seasonings, ground together and pressed into loaves. We can get it at the grocery store deli here in Arizona, so I assume it is available in many places. Chip-chopped ham is ham that is sliced razor thin on a commercial meat slicer at the deli. Isaly's in Pittsburgh made chip-chopped ham famous.Chip-chopped ham is most often prepared with a BBQ sauce type mixture, often including Pepsi or Coca-Cola, and served on sandwich rolls or hamburger buns. After being away from Pittsburgh for almost 30 years, I decided it was high time to cook up some chipped-chopped ham sandwiches. It took a bit of time for the lady at the grocery store deli to slice the meat so thin, but this is what gives chip-chopped ham its unique character. Here's my recipe...
Ingredients:
2 lb. chip-chopped ham
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
12 (approx.) hamburger buns or sandwich rolls
Instructions:
In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the garlic, chopped onion and bell pepper (being careful not to overcook. Add the chip-chopped ham and cook slowly, stirring often until the pieces of ham are well separated and the onions and peppers are thoroughly mixed in with the ham. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve on your favorite sandwich rolls or hamburger buns. Makes about 10 to 14 servings.
