At Stoltzfus Meats, we pride ourselves on not taking shortcuts. We cure and smoke our hams for longer. We hand-trim our hams for leanness. There are so many factors to consider when choosing a ham for serving your family and friends this holiday. We break it down for you here!
1. Taste: An Art and a Science
As mentioned above, we cure and smoke our hams for much, much longer than other companies. We cure our hams for 5 days, which allows ample time for the hams to absorb the incredible flavor and moisture of the seasonings and spices we use in our cure. We never use any artificial flavorings or flavor enhancers like MSG in our hams.
We also smoke our hams for much longer than other companies. By smoking our hams long and slow using hickory wood chips, a deep, rich smoky flavor is imparted to our hams. Our smokehouses are state-of-the-art and made in Germany, which allows us to closely monitor them for temperature every step of the way.
The resulting product is a ham with a depth of flavor that you will not find elsewhere.
2. Texture: The Importance of a Whole-Muscle Ham
Many other companies use chopped and cured boneless pork for their boneless hams. Their hams thus contain muscle from different parts of the hog. At Stoltzfus Meats, we use the inside muscle of the ham for our Boneless Hams, which is the tenderest and leanest part of the ham. This makes our Boneless Hams leaner, moister, and more tender than other boneless hams you find at your supermarket.
For those customers who want the whole ham experience, we also offer our Old-Fashioned Boneless Hams (pictured), which incorporates all three of the ham muscles. This ham is just like a Bone-In Ham in flavor and texture, but without the hassle of having to carve around a bone.
3. Cooking: Set it and Forget it!
The holidays can be stressful. Cooking a ham shouldn't have to be a chore. Our hams are easy to cook and don't dry out as fast as other brands thanks to the lengthy curing and smoking process we employ. Our hams simply require being heated through at 18-20 min per pound or to an internal temperature of 140. Cooking our hams is so simple and doesn't require a glaze or extra seasoning thanks to their amazing flavor (although they do also go great with a glaze!)
The Bottom Line: Quality Matters
When you gather with friends and family over the holidays, there is no better gift than great memories. So many of our memories are formed around great meals; the smells and tastes associated with food linger on. A Stoltzfus Meats ham will always elevate your holiday feasts. It also makes a great gift! In the words of one of our customers: "I sent this ham to some friends and they loved it. They could not stop raving about it ! Thanks to all of you who work so hard and send out such great products!"
Premium Quality, Superior Taste. It's why we do what we do.