Ham is the main course for many of us on Christmas. It is also a huge financial investment, even when it is on sale for $0.79 or $0.99 per pound, it’s still at least a $10 piece of meat.
Let me give you a few tips to help get a ham you’ll love:
Meat cutter. Befriend the meat cutter in your local grocery store and ask him/her to help pick out the best ham. Every time I do this I end up with the most fabulous piece of meat. In fact, I credit Mark, a meat cutter at my local Rainbow Foods for teaching me everything I know about hams.
The butt and the shank. There are two cuts of ham, the butt and the shank. There isn’t that one cut is clearly superior, but it is a matter of preference (it kind of reminds me of the debate many have about toilet paper. Should it go over or under. Either is fine, but watch out for those that have a strong preference)
The Butt. Like you’d imagine, the butt is a rounder piece of meat. It has less bone and more fat than the shank.
The Shank. This piece has more bone, since it includes the hip bone, but generally has less fat. This looks more cone-shaped and almost like a volcano at the top. As for me, I am 100% loyal to the shank.
Know your prices. The week before Christmas is one of the best times to buy ham, since they hit their rock bottom prices this week. I once asked my meat cutter which ham is the best value, not necessarily the best price. He pointed me to one that is $1.99 per pound at rock bottom price, but scrumptious. For my family, we are willing to pay a little more and get a fabulous ham.
Use the leftovers. There are a bazillion ways you can use leftover ham. A couple things I generally do include making broth from the bone as bean soup base. With any leftover meat I usually dice it, then freeze it in portion sizes that are the right fit for a serving of scrambled eggs. Then in weeks ahead we’ll either have breakfast for dinner or enjoy eggs on a Saturday morning.
Your turn: What your tips and tricks for getting the best ham and making the most of the leftovers?
About Carrie Rocha
My husband will do a ‘boiled’ dinner with the leaftovers. We eat it until there is not much left. Then you boil off the remainder of the meat from the bone. You remove the bone and add rudabega, carrots and potatoes and onions. He LOVES this. I however, am going to try your tip for eggs for quick breakfasts.
My wife will make homemade scallopped or au gratin potatoes with diced up ham in them add green beans or brocolli as a side and its a great meal.
I usually buy a fairly large ham so we have leftovers. Sometimes I just throw the bone in the freezer until I’m ready to make soup (bean, split pea or wild rice). I think the kids enjoy the soup almost as much as the ham, mashed potatoes and ham gravy (a sweet and salty favorite).
I too always buy a ham large enough for leftovers. We love spilt pea soup, so I typically make a big pot, or throw the bone into the freezer. I chop up the remaining ham and freeze in 2 c packets. I use leftovers for fritattas, soup, casseroles or even wraps!
I diced left over ham and split them up into smaller bags to be used for quiche, omelets, and fried rice. Nothing goes to waste in our house.