On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 22:47:16 -0700 (PDT), Nellie
> wrote:

>On Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 6:12:01 PM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 17:44:04 -0700 (PDT), Nellie
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >On Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 2:34:14 PM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> >> Nellie wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >I've always, for the past twenty-five years or so, gotten a Honeybaked ham but for the last couple of years it has not been good.
>> >> >So, I am in search of a ham to cook, slice, and bring with us. I have Lunardis, Nob Hill/Raley's, and all the national chains available to me. I will probably go with Lunardis, where I buy all my meat, and can get baking instructions from them.
>> >> >However, any additional hints as to cooking a ham would be appreciated as I haven't done one in many years.
>> >>
>> >> Fresh ham, the king of roasts. Cured hams no matter which is crap
>> >> they're just preserved chemically treated ham. Once you try fresh ham
>> >> cured will never again satisfy.
>> >
>> >
>> >Okay, sounds good, thanks. Anything in particular I should ask for? or will it be obvious? Lunardi's butchers are great and I rely on them quite a bit, but there are some young butchers working there and I worry that they may not know all that they should.
>>
>> Depends how many you're feeding, a half ham will feed six adults well,
>> more I'd get a whole ham. If you buy half I suggest the butt half.
>> There are many ways to season, I like Penzeys adobo but you may like
>> some other flavors. A fresh ham can be boned for easier carving (ask
>> the butcher to do it), can also be butterflied, stuffed, rolled, and
>> tied. If you decide on a fresh ham and need help let me know.
>
>
>Thanks, that's nice of you. I think I may go for the cured because it is more ham-like (correct me if I am wrong)
>
>I do have the Penzey's adobo already so that's good, but maybe not on the cured ham, right?

Right... not on cured pork

>We will be feeding 17 people, 3 are kids, but eat a lot and one vegetarian. So, what do you think?
>
>Nellie

Cured ham is boring, and salty... anyone who pigs out on cured ham
will curse you the next day. For 17 adults and three kids who fress
get a large whole fresh ham... have the butcher bone and tie it, it'll
be a breeze to serve. Also I don't consider cured ham on its own a
main course, it's more of an appetizer, it's far too salty for more
than noshing. And since you have all those big eaters you may want to
consider a large fresh ham and a butt half cured ham (spiral cut?),
then everyone will be happy, both meats are so different from each
other it won't be redundant... and if you have some left overs that's
a good thing, both meats make excellent sandwiches. If I had to feed
17 big eaters and a few kids I would definitely serve both.... there
really is not all that much meat on 25 pounds of bone-in hams... if
they are really big eaters you may want to get a full fresh ham and a
full cured ham... were I catering one of those Admiral's daughter's
weddings I'd serve a 24 pound turkey too... berthed in Newport, RI on
Christmas day I'd serve over a thousand, all my ovens were cram full
of turkeys and hams of both persuasions, and I baked all night;
breads, cakes, pies... I was lucky not being at sea so I didn't have
to make the ice cream. At sea we had three cooks (taking turns - 24
on, 24 off, one baked all night) and fed between 350-400 every day
and there were four meals a day, there were midrats for the midnight
watch, the baker served midrats. Try to imagine feeding so many
breakfasts every day and you can begin to comprehend why some fifty
years later I still can't stand the stench of bacon... I rarely ate
what I served... you make a thousand meat-a-balles and tell me you
want them for dinner. It took me a long time before I could eat eggs
again, was maybe five years before I could stomach fried eggs. As a
teen I used to work for Barton's Bonbonnaire, the premiere
chocolatier, was a good ten years before I could eat chocolate. Those
who have never eaten Barton's chocolates have no idea whatsoever how
chocolate is supposed to taste, and they never will.... even todays
finast premium chocolates are like imitation chocolate flavoring
compared to Barton's. It's funny how when you're sixteen you don't
know you're eating the finast caviar of chocolate. Having the
opportunity there'd be no question I'd serve fresh ham... think of it
this way; cured ham is like serving chicken nuggets, fresh ham is like
serving prime rib. At least half that cured ham I'm gonna prepare
tomorrow will end up in my freezer for soup, bean/pea.