Cooks spiral sliced ham shoprite6/21/2023 ![]() Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21). Legal Notice Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Prices and availability subject to change. (Glaze packets were included in the packaging but were not used in our testing.) We ranked the hams according to the Epicurious four-fork rating system, four being the best. All varieties were cooked according to the directions on the packaging, which most often meant reheating the hams for 15 or 20 minutes per pound. Methodology: In a blind taste test, seven judges compared the flavor, consistency, and appearance of baked ham. (*Asterisked brands received the same score.) ![]() The ten varieties of hams we tasted are available nationwide and include the following, listed from highest to lowest score in our taste test: Carando Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Bone-In, Cook's Traditional Half Bone-In Shank, Niman Ranch Uncured Boneless, Boar's Head Sweet Slice Smoked Boneless, Hormel Spiral Sliced Bone-In,* Smithfield Hickory Smoked Bone-In,* Hormel Cure 81 Boneless, Boar's Head Black Forest Smoked Boneless, Jones Naturally Smoked Dainty Ham Boneless, Thumann's Spiral Sliced Bone-In. One editor compared it to "water with salt." Lastly, Thumann's Spiral Sliced Ham was greasy, flavorless, and "flobbery." Additional Taste Test Details Jones Dainty Ham was described as rather tough and rubbery. "Perhaps this brand should always be eaten between two slices of bread," suggested one taster. Not only did a fluorescent pink tint permeate its surface, but it tasted fairly processed. Cons: Slightly spongy.īoar's Head Black Forest Ham had several tasters concerned. "This one is pleasantly thick and moist," one editor observed. Pros: Nitrite-free and mild in flavor, with a hint of smokiness. Winner: Niman Ranch Uncured Boneless Ham brined with natural juices Most importantly, in terms of flavor, it should contain a combination of the three S's: sweet, salty, and smoky. It can be labeled as "ham, water added" (15 percent water), and/or it can be injected with ham and water product (50 percent water).Īll judges agreed that the perfect ham should not be rubbery, taste like a salt lick, or feel slimy but should rather be tender, moist, and chewy. It can be brined in its natural juices (water has been added and the ham is 10 percent water). The ham can be labeled as just ham (meaning it's the highest grade and no water has been added). The grade of the pork reflects the amount of water it contains the more water, the lower the grade. Supermarket hams can be sold uncooked yet cured with salt and sugar (country style) or brined (injected with solution) and smoked and cooked (city style). ![]() Our ham selections took into consideration the most important factors: bone-in, semi-boneless, or boneless spiral cut or not half or whole sizes style and meat grade. For those who are content to pick up a ham at the supermarket-one that is already cooked and, yes, more affordable-we've taken the guesswork out of which is best.Īs usual, prior to our testing, we invested time researching the world of hams you may want to put your concentration cap on for this one. While there are almost as many specialty hand-cured hams as there are flavors of jelly beans, these tend to cost between $50 and $80 each. When families gather to celebrate, oftentimes a baked ham takes center stage on the table. E aster's culinary traditions are about more than egg hunts ( and leftovers), jelly beans, and chocolate bunnies.
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