FROM: BAROSSA FINE
FOODS, SA
STYLE: FULL BONE
IN
PICTURED: #6
Luke: It’s a good shape.
I think it’s been hung in muslin,
which isn’t very good for
smoke penetration.
Mitch: It’s perfect for a
Christmas table centrepiece.
Lennox: It’s nice and tight,
and well-shaped.
Jacqui: I think it looks great. It’s
moist and consistent in colour.
Luke: It has a really strange
aftertaste, almost a little nutty.
It’s like it’s been hot-smoked
or had nitrogen added to it.
Mitch: It tastes lovely
upfront but there is an
unpleasant aftertaste.
Lennox: The fat is almost
like plastic, it doesn’t melt.
FIRST PLACE
From: Noosa Meat Centre, Qld
Style: Full bone-in
Price: $13.99 per kg
Pictured: #1
Mitch: This is one sexy beast!
Lennox: Dark, mysterious, firm and tightly
structured – it’s absolutely stunning.
Jacqui: It’s very dramatic, isn’t it? There’s
a fantastic colour to it.
Luke: The appearance is great.
Lennox: It’s very unique in taste. It’s quite
dense and there’s a really nice salt level to it,
but it’s also very smoky, maybe overly smoky.
Jacqui: There’s a great balance of saltiness
and smokiness. It packs some serious flavour.
Luke: It doesn’t get any more moisture as you
cut into the middle so it’s nice and even, and
there’s a nice amount of seasoning. It’s wicked.
Mitch: It certainly lives up to its good looks.SECOND PLACE
From: Andrew’s Choice, Vic
Style: Full bone-in
Price: $21.95 per kg
Pictured: #9
Mitch: This one is beautifully shaped.
There’s a fantastic, thick layer of buttery fat.
Lennox: It’s a magnificent leg with loads of fat.
Jacqui: The fat cap is great, but it’s overcooked.
Luke:Idoreallyliketheflavour–ittasteslike
it’sbeenseasonedwithspice.
Jacqui:Youcandefinitelysmellthespice.
Mitch:Ithinkit’sbeautifullybalancedinflavour,
almostperfect,butit’sjustatouchovercooked.THIRD PLACE
From:Grin&MorrisVillage
Butchers,Vic
Style:½boneless
Price:$30perkg
Pictured:#3
Lennox:Itlookslikethemuscleshaveseparated.
Mitch:It’snottheprettiest.Butithasareallynice
flavour–it’sverywellbalancedandquitemild.
Luke:Greatflavour,andit’sreallymoistandjuicy.
Jacqui:Youcanseethegapsbetweenthe
muscles,butitticksalltheboxesinthetaste
department:smokeandsaltiness,slightly
sweetandalovelytexture.
Lennox:Idolovethetexture,it’sniceandtender.
Mitch:Ittastesclassic.You’renotgettingblown
awaywithsaltorsmoke,andyoucanjustsimply
enjoythetaste.FROM: BERTOCCHI
STYLE: ⁄ BONE
IN
PICTURED: #8
Jacqui: It looks like a
supermarket ham.
Lennox: It’s incredibly
dense but there’s a nice,
solid colour to it.
Luke: It smells really sweet
and it feels really springy.
Mitch: It has a mild flavour,
with quite sweet overtones.
I like that it’s moist.
Jacqui: The consistency is
almost slippery. It’s missing
that slightly rough, meaty
ham texture.
Lennox: It’s really bouncy and
I find it overly sweet. There’s
a plastic quality to the fat, too. GOURMET TRAVELLER 61