Brazillian Food

In a large, heavy saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat, then saute the vegetables with the bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the white wine, and continue cooking over medium heat, until the wine reduces slightly. Remove from heat, cool, and reserve.

Using a knife-sharpening steel, make holes in the surface of the fresh ham to allow the marinade to penetrate into the meat. Pour half of the vegetable/wine marinade over the ham, turning the ham in the liquid to ensure that the marinade penetrates as much as possible. Place the ham in a large bowl or glass container, and refrigerate in the marinade for 24 hours.

The next day, in a large non-stick frying pan with a small amount of olive oil, brown the ham well on all sides. When browned, place the ham in a roasting pan, and pour the remaining half of the marinade over the meat. Place in a pre-heated 350 degree (moderate) oven, and roast for approximately 2.5 hours, basting the ham with pan juices every thirty minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

To construct the sandwiches, thinly slice the cooled ham. On a roll, prepared as desired with butter, mayonnaise or mustard, add two or three slices of ham. Serve with potato chips or a side salad.