Matthew and I have been wondering what we were going to do for Easter dinner since we started trying to avoid nitrates in our food. The typical ham served at Easter dinner is loaded with nitrates, but we didnt know what our alternatives were. Today the answer fell in my lap in the form of the FoodDay section of our newspaper. They featured this article, called A roast that rivals ham.
The article says "Fresh ham" is a confusing term because the cut is really more pork than ham. Take the same cut of meat used in a typical ham (the leg), and roast it just the way it is -- no long curing process, no pink color or saltiness (or nitrites). It's like a pork loin in many ways, cooking up mild and succulent.
Exactly what we were looking for! I found a wholesale meat company near us that sells the hams for $1.65 a pound. I choose to get a 12 pound ham, which is enough to feed a group of 10-12 people, with leftovers. I pick it up freshly cut and wrapped the Friday before Easter. Sure sounds better than a ham that has sat in a deli case for weeks! The FoodDay article also has 3 recipes for cooking the ham, and it sounds pretty simple. I am excited to try it out!
The article says "Fresh ham" is a confusing term because the cut is really more pork than ham. Take the same cut of meat used in a typical ham (the leg), and roast it just the way it is -- no long curing process, no pink color or saltiness (or nitrites). It's like a pork loin in many ways, cooking up mild and succulent.
Exactly what we were looking for! I found a wholesale meat company near us that sells the hams for $1.65 a pound. I choose to get a 12 pound ham, which is enough to feed a group of 10-12 people, with leftovers. I pick it up freshly cut and wrapped the Friday before Easter. Sure sounds better than a ham that has sat in a deli case for weeks! The FoodDay article also has 3 recipes for cooking the ham, and it sounds pretty simple. I am excited to try it out!
