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.