Australian Gourmet Traveller - (12)December 2019 (1)

W

hether served warm and glazed with a sticky,

sweet spice mix, or simply sliced with a side of

relish, ham has long been the crowning glory of

an Australian Christmas feast – and an essential

filling for picnic sandwiches in the days following. Choosing the

right ham is critical: the meat should be tender with a smooth

texture, while the flavour should be a subtle balance of salt and

smoke. Typically, hams are injected with brine to ensure an

even distribution of flavour. This process must be done with

care, as over-pumping can result in pockets between the meat

and the skin. Colour plays an important role, too. The meat

should be an even shade throughout, which indicates that the

ham has been cured correctly. This year, we asked four experts

to taste test nine hams from across the country, to crown the

ultimate Christmas champion. 

Jacqui Challinor

Head chef, Nomad

Lennox Hastie

Head chef and owner, Firedoor

Luke Powell

Head chef and owner,

LP’s Quality Meats

Mitch Edwards

Marketing & communications

manager, Australian Pork Limited

The

judges

What makes the

perfect Christmas

ham? We asked a

panel of experts to

blind-taste test nine

dierent hams, and

the results are in.