In my house, I don’t think there’s any better indication that Christmas is indeed drawing nearer than coming face to face with a fridge full of ham. Well, that and seeing those iconic commercials where Chef Rob Pengson looks adamant on making everyone hungry with his platter of delicious Holiday Whole-Meat Ham. Those really do a pretty good job of reminding me that the feasting-with-family season has definitely arrived!
It’s become such a Christmas tradition for Filipino families to have ham in their homes that Noche Buena just wouldn’t quite be the same without it. Personally, I find it to be one of the best things to give and to receive right around this season. Let’s face it, people looove receiving ham as part of their Christmas food loot. (I know my family does!) The best part about that? The more ham you get, the more chances that you will have some left over to nurse your post-Christmas cravings!
To me, the best fit for this particular season are those hams with pineapple glazes. It must be that element of sweetness and spice in these types of ham that reminds me of nice and cozy things. But ham in general does go so well with many other Christmas staples, including the Danes Cheese Ball I’ve previously talked about.
Many people like to add their ham as a component of another party-worthy dish, but personally I enjoy it in a sandwich because it allows the ham to really shine. And I think it’s what you’d want especially when your ham is as tasty as the Holiday Whole-Meat Ham.
It’s fabulous in the simple Holiday Ham Sliders I’ll be sharing today!
The CDO Holiday Whole-Meat Ham is actually made from premium whole boneless meat from the hind leg, which is the best part for hams. It even has net marks to boot; and since only whole meat hams can be smoked in ham nets, you can be sure that the CDO Holiday Whole-Meat Ham is 100% whole meat ham with absolutely no extenders. This ham is simmered in a special holiday sauce, making it juicy and so rich in flavours!
This Holiday Whole-Meat Ham Kit is perfect for gifting. It even includes a jar of Special Pineapple Ham Glaze, which is definitely something to get excited about as it elevates the taste of the Holiday Whole-Meat Ham by adding some sweet tang! I absolutely love pineapple and believe it is a lovely pairing for pork, and it works extra wonders for well-seasoned ham like the Holiday Whole-Meat Ham.
I do believe the best way to enjoy ham is to pop it into pandesal, like I did with these Holiday Ham Sliders. First I sliced the ham thinly before pan-frying in a bit of oil. Look at how beautiful that looks after being cooked. The Special Sauce covers up the whole slice in delicious flavours and complements the smokiness of the ham too. Some of that didn’t make it into a sandwich hehehe!
I placed a slice of ham in my warm pandesal, then I spread just a touch of the pineapple glaze on it. Typically the glaze is brushed on the whole ham as it is oven-roasted but this is how we’re doing it today. 😉
Next up, I added a thin slice of Danes Cheese Ball in there as well. There’s a reason why the ham and cheese combo is so popular all over the world, and it’s because these two just fit together so well. For a bit of kick I like to add some pickled jalapeno, and while it’s totally optional I highly highly recommend it.
I don’t believe that pandesal is just for breakfast, so you can serve this during your Noche Buena too! I promise you these will sell out so quickly. You can really Taste the Difference with the Whole-Meat Holiday Ham!
If you want more recipe ideas and want to learn more about the Holiday Whole-Meat Ham, like their Facebook page!
By the way, pre-sliced Holiday Whole-Meat Ham is available in supermarkets, but if you want to control the thickness of your ham slices, just approach any Holiday Ham Carving Station. They’ll be glad to help you out when you order a minimum of 100 grams of ham.
The Holiday Whole-Meat Ham is available in the following sizes: 1 kg Whole (Php 490), 1 kg Pre-sliced (Php 490), 1.5 kg Whole (Php 735), and 1.5 kg Pre-sliced (Php 735).
