Sweet Holiday Hams

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Spiral-Cut, Pre-Sliced or Whole? Bone-in or boneless? Find out what to look for in a good ham. Learn more

sweet holiday hams

	Snake River Farms The ham from this Boise, Idaho enterprise comes from purebred Berkshire hogs, a non-commercial breed that is known for producing exceptionally juicy, well-marbled meat. Berkshire ham is more commonly referred to as Kurobuta ham, given its popularity in Japan. Kurobuta has just recently taken off in the States with celebrity chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller (The French Laundry), Lee Hefter (Spago Beverly Hills) and Emeril Lagasse. Snake River Farms uses a small network of family farmers in the Midwest to raise their Berkshires.
	S. Wallace Edwards & Sons This Surry, Virginia company is known for its salty, country-style dry hams, but it also makes an Easter-style sweet ham that described by Gourmet Magazine (Feb, 2005) as "the perfect balance between salt, sweetness, and smoke; tender but dryer than most city-cured hams."
	Niman Ranch The socially responsible choice and always a favorite with foodies. Niman Ranch uses a co-op of family farms in the Midwest to raise their hogs in open pasture without the use of antibiotics or artificial growth promotants. Their meats are served at some of the country's finest restaurants (NYC's Cafe Boulud, Babbo, Daniel and Picholine).

Nodine's Smokehouse - This Connecticut smokehouse (pronounced no-dyne's) is famous for its bacon, but its ham is also top-notch.

Murcer's - A ham hybrid of sorts. It's an Easter-style ham, but unlike most, this one's not wet-cured. Instead it's salt-rubbed and smoked. Consequently, it's a bit saltier and drier than conventional Easter hams, but it's a top pick of food-expert David Rosengarten and Gourmet Magazine.

Kreuz Market - Best small ham. The perfect choice for a small gathering. These are 4-6 pound half boneless (super-easy to slice!) half hams from a famed Texas BBQ joint. Like Murcer's, these are dry-cured, so they are drier and saltier than conventional Easter hams.

Col. Bill Newsom's Aged Kentucky Country Hams - This Kentucky company is famous for their salted country hams, but they also make a mild, sweet Gourmet BBQ "Preacher" ham that is a favorite with foodies.

Nueske's - This Wisconsin smokehouse is famous for its bacon, but its hams are also top-notch.