Hamming it up for Christmas

MANILA, Philippines - With barely 10 days to go before Christmas, most moms are already in the thick of preparations on what to serve the family for Noche Buena. The usual spread of queso de bola, pan de sal, a hot cup of tsokolate-eh and those delish, thin slices of Christmas ham remains popular fare. Ahh, ham. It’s one of those food items that you feel guilty eating large quantities of at any time other than Christmas.

And so, in order to make the most of your ham gorge, culinary expert Glenda Barretto shared delightful ways on how best to enjoy the “star” of the Noche Buena — Purefoods Fiesta Ham — at a ham-laden lunch hosted recently by Purefoods at the Oyster Bar in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell.

“Purefoods Fiesta Ham is such a versatile product. Just chop it, mix with a mayo dressing, spread it on toast, and you’ll have instant canapés. Or throw some lettuce leaves, carrot strings, beet slices, melon balls in a bowl, then top it with cubed ham for a refreshing salad. You can also wrap thin slices of ham around asparagus stalks for starters. With Purefoods Fiesta Ham, the possibilities are endless,” adds Barretto as the server plops the green peas and ham broth on our table. Next came the irresistible treat: the glazed bone-in leg of ham with candied sweet potato gravy.

Celebrity moms: Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Danica Sotto Pingris, Barbie Almalbis-Honasan and Suzi Entrata-Abrera prefer Purefoods Fiesta Ham.

 The main dish featured one of Purefoods’ new Christmas hams — the 3.5-kilo Smoked Bone-in Fiesta Ham.

“Purefoods Fiesta Ham remains the most popular ham variety available on the market today. Last year alone, we sold over a million kilos of this. First introduced in 1980, Purefoods Fiesta Ham has gained a following among Filipinos as it captures their taste preference, which is sweet and salty,” explains Gilbert Bautista, brand manager, Hams Category, Purefoods.

Made from the finest premium meat and sugar-glazed to perfection, with a golden-brown goodness, Filipino families have grown to love, season after season, Purefoods Fiesta Ham, which is also the No. 1 Christmas ham in the Philippines.

“In a recent survey by TNS Philippines, Purefoods Christmas hams are preferred by close to eight out of 10 mothers,” adds Bautista.

And why shouldn’t moms prefer it? Aside from being the best-tasting Christmas ham, Purefoods Fiesta Ham can also be used to highlight mom’s kitchen creativity.

Although actress Danica Sotto-Pingris, mom of two, enjoys ham the traditional way — with queso de bola and pan de sal — she has plenty of ideas on how to prepare the leftover ham the next day.

“The ham bone can be used to prepare a flavorful macaroni soup. For breakfast, you can’t go wrong with Eggs Benedict. Instead of the regular ham, I use Purefoods Fiesta Ham. Its sweet-salty taste is perfect for the dish,” notes Danica.

Host Suzi Entrata-Abrera prefers her ham coated with sugar, fried, and eaten with pan de sal.

“It’s actually a tried and tested recipe of my sister. During Noche Buena, she wouldn’t eat the sliced ham straight from the oven. She would coat it in sugar, then fry it over a low flame and wait for it to caramelize. We always scold her for that because we can’t start dinner until she’s done cooking. The funny thing is, we always end up eating her specialty,” relates Suzi.

Definitely not a picky eater, musician Barbie Almalbis –Honasan eats Purefoods Fiesta Ham any way it’s served in all three Christmas dinners she attends with her family.

“My family is crazy about Christmas. We really celebrate it in a big way. We actually have three Christmas dinners. First, with my grandparents. Then we’d go to my tito’s house and cap the celebration in our own house. That is, if we still have the appetite. I think the Purefoods Fiesta Ham goes well with cheese and any pasta dish,” Barbie recommends.

Aside from the Fiesta Ham, Purefoods has five other ham varieties that satisfy the cravings of foodies come Christmastime. There’s also the Jamon de Bola, Pear-shaped Ham, Brick Ham, Chinese Bone-in Ham, which is saltier than the Fiesta Ham; and the Tasty Ham, which is processed in a net bag to give it that authentic look.

“We also launched the Purefoods Fiesta Sliced Ham. It’s perfect for busy moms because it saves them the time and hassle of doing the slicing themselves,” notes Bautista.

Purefoods hams are ready to eat, but Glenda Barretto suggests it’s best to simmer it with beer, pineapple juice, and brown sugar to further enhance its flavor.

Whether it’s glazed with cloves, exotic fruits, or comes in criss-cross cuts or spirals, Purefoods Fiesta Ham is the perfect symbol of a holiday meal. And yes, no Noche Buena table should be without it.