It is the yuletide season and that means you are going to deck the halls,
trim the trees, wrap tonnes of presents, do unavoidable last-minute shopping, and of course, cook enough food to feed a small army. Christmas has always been the time to eat as much as we want with no dietary restrictions, judgement or thought of portion control; and in most households the star of the Christmas dinner meal will be the succulent, glazed and mouth-watering ham.
The kind that features those amazing score lines and perfectly charred edges that keep inviting you to be naughty and just pull off a tiny piece to titillate your taste buds and satisfy your need to feed.
For the upcoming Christmas holiday, Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) has just the perfect package to keep you “spirited” while enhancing your Christmas feast as they roll out their hams complimented by the signature Jack Daniel’s glaze. BUZZZ Magazine got the low-down on the Christmas chow-down from CPJ’s Brand Manager for Foods, Shanae Bennett and Natesha Powel, Brand Manager of Spirits, who were both happy to dish up recipes, tips, and titbits, not only about CPJ’s delectable ham offerings but also how well it pairs with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.
A ham is known to be the star of the meal and CPJ hams are of 5-star quality; all locally produced at Freeport, Montego Bay. In 2014, CPJ entered the market with four types of regularly cured Hams – Whole Leg, Half Leg, Boneless and Picnic Hams. By 2016, they came up with the concept of producing a Jerk Ham, which they now carry in a Picnic and Boneless format, again, making them the first on the market, to offer consumers added elements of differentiation.
“Our hams are naturally smoked with Hickory Wood Chips and are perfectly infused with natural ingredients, through a process known as tumbling. Our state-of-the-art smokehouse caters to all hams, whereby, hams are smoked using actual Hickory Wood Chips, rather than liquid smoke to ensure the highest flavour and quality. During the smoking process, hams are partially cooked, which allows for a reduced cook time for our consumers – only 15 minutes per pound, so get that succulent ham that the whole family will enjoy,” Bennett explained.