We don’t normally have ham for Christmas. I know, I know–it’s tradition. But we’ve been having roast duck for the past couple of years. We eat what we want, not what tradition says. If we feel like having ham in July instead, that’s fine.
Anyway, we’ve been buying imported U.S. duckling for our roast duck. But, well… there’s the bird flu scare and, well… we thought we’d skip the duck this year. So, when my husband asked what kind of ham I wanted, I suddenly had this very vivid picture in my mind of ham bone simmering in water to make the best stock ever. I was already imagining the soups and stews I could make with just one good-sized ham bone. So, I said I wanted Chinese ham. Last Friday, he came home with a two kilos plus traditional ham from Majestic.
I know it’s traditional to bake and slice the ham for the noche buena but we don’t really have a proper noche buena. We’re usually too full by midnight. We had the ham with pan de sal and lots of coral lettuce yesterday for breakfast. And we were making sandwiches the whole day.
Years ago, when Swift (RFM Corp.) still made ham, I enjoyed its Boston Ham. Tasted like Chinese ham (more salty than sweet) but smaller and boneless. Too bad Swift doesn’t make ham anymore. You can’t make me buy processed ham, especially canned ones. Waste of money and I do know that they’re more than 50% fat.
Last year, Jay and Jet gifted me with a ham that my family liked so much I actually had to ask them where we could buy more. A business of a friend of Jay, the ham was only available during the Christmas season. We couldn’t have it all year round. I was actually thinking of ordering some this year but the image of ham bone was there inside my head and, well… so we have the Majestic ham.
merry christmas to you and your family!
enjoy the rest of the holidays, though.
chinese ham can be enjoyed in a lot of ways. my grandfather used to buy the raw in bone (when it was still affordable) and cook it for noche buena. with the price of good ham these days, especially on christmas and new year when you can only buy a whole leg – walang tingi – my family would just try to enjoy some during the rest of the year. like you i would like also to make soup out of ham bone this year. hope you can share your recipe for that – i hope it can still be found in your archives.
hi maris
Merry Christmas to you and your family too.
Of course, I’ll post the soup recipe. Still rebuilding the archives and hoping everything can be completed within the next few days.
ATE SASSY!
merry christmas kahit pareho tayong walang diyos. BWAHAHA.
sayang wala kami ngayon diyan sa pilipinas. if jet and i were there, siguradong may 2 kang ham, tig-isa kami ni jet na regalo sa inyo.
nakaka miss mawala sa bayang magiliw kaya heto – we spend the holidays vicariously through your posts.
Sorry to hear about what happened to your computer files. The power supply of m computer here at work also got burned at almost the same time and I was surprised when I logged in into your website and read your account about what happened.
I remember that there is a shop along Echague St. in Quiapo that still make their own ham. I just usually buy the “scraps” when I happen to pass by that area which is not often.
I’m still here in Indonesia and will have a chance to savor the Filipino cuisines when I come back later this week.
Merry merry, batjay! hehehehe Hugs and kisses to you and Jet. Re: ham, di bale there’s always next Christmas hahahahaha
Rey, I think that’s Excellente ham? It’s waiting for you.
hi connie,
o sige ha, i’ll be awaiting the ham bone recipe. by the time you have it out, i’m sure sagad to the bone na din yung ham dito sa bahay. pero yung scraps sa dulo, parang masarap ilagay sa callos. mmmmm….
uy, it’s looking very good around here, congratulations. sana ma-retrieve mo na
pati yung ibang mga files.
cheers
Hi Misispi.
Tomorrow, I mean later today pala, I’ll boil the bone. My hubby sliced off the meat already.
2/3 of the recipes have been re-posted already. Can’t wait to finish everything. Abother 48 hours should do it. Sayang lang, all the previous comments have been lost.
My most favorite ham is from Honeybaked (http://www.honeybakedonline.com/HBOnline/home/home.asp?Ref=3881607:26860145) there’s something about the sugary crust that makes it sooo good. Anyway, here’s a recipe that purports to be able to recreate the glaze for it:
http://www.internationalrecipesonline.com/recipes/view.pl?3954
This is just in case you ever wanna make your own hehe. The kids must be sick of it by now, ham has a tendency to hang around your ref forever.
Hello there – I was really looking for a different callos recipe and my search found your website. Thanks! I have been looking for a Chinese ham recipe (from scratch) so I can make my own Chinese ham, but I’ve had no luck. There is no Chinese ham in Los Angeles like we have in the Philippines. I really miss the sweet-salty taste of the hok shiu ham (did I spell it right).
Now, would you be able to provide your readers with a recipe to make the Chinese ham? I know how to cook different kinds of ham, but to make it from scratch is another matter.
Thanks again and Happy New Year!
Juanita Ernst
Chris and Juanita,
Only once in my life did I try to cure my own ham. And never again. LOL Funny that my grandparents made their ‘fortune’ on home cured ham. Before I was born. Too bad I never asked them to teach me.
hi!i saw a segment about your ham last night.i”m just wondring were i can buy your majesti ham?can you please email me your outlets so i can buy some for this xmass.thanks
ric, i don’t sell ham. bought ours from cherry supermarket along gongressional avenue in QC.
Dear Miss Connie,
Hello ! I was looking for good home recipes when by chance I saw your baked macaroni on the site. My name is Gie and I have been living here in japan for five years now. I have to admit that at my age I am still learning to cook good food because I want to serve good food to my two husband, two kids and friends. I am not an expert in computer either so Is it okay if I ask you how can I get copies of your recipes? I hope you won’t mind it would be a big help. Thanks!
gie, there are printable versions of the recipes. links at the end of each entry.
a pleasant hello to you, i would like to get the recipe/procedure and ingredients of the chinese ham or any other ham… i want to make and sell it to my neighbors and friends to somehow augment our finances.
hope you can help me.