CHRISTMAS HAM REVISITED

Grez

Last year's ham post http://rhodeislandismyoyster.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-planning-virginia-hams.html, still works. But Spanish hams are all the vogue so maybe you want to know about this:

5 Jotas - ham from Ibérico pigs is the specialty of this high-end outfit. This is the ham of poetry.  And it's a ham requiring serious financial commitment; in the $140-and-up per pound range, these aren't slices for your sandwich. Only in the highest-end markets so look to Boston or NYC (Fairway, Murray's, etc.).
www.tienda.com

Edwards smokehouse in Virginia cures its own version of Spanish ham, called American Surryano. We're giving it a try. You can buy a whole one (14-16 pounds) for $163 or a 12 oz package of thin thin slices for $34.
www.virginiatraditions.com