In The News
Parties Heat Up As Football Moves to Miami
01.15.2007
Cook's® Ham Incorporates Cuban Flavor into Super Party Fare
LINCOLN, Neb. With Americans gathering together at more than 7.5 million parties to celebrate Professional Football's "Super" match-up, food and entertaining has increasingly taken precedence over the contest on the field.1 With this year's game taking place in Miami, Cook's Ham has developed a party menu that is guaranteed to add some Miami heat to this year's gathering.
Snacks have traditionally ruled the Sunday game, but finger foods don't always fill up the hungry crowd. Serving a substantial sandwich is the perfect fuel for the "Super" hungry appetite, and letting guests create their own sandwiches ensures a victory at your party. Cook's spiral sliced bone-in ham is an ideal choice for the centerpiece of a Super Sandwich Bar for the big game because each is fully cooked and available in three flavors, honey, brown sugar and hickory. For best results, Cook's suggests heating the ham prior to serving. Because the ham is pre-sliced it literally serves itself, requiring only a small cut around the center bone so each guest can easily take a slice from the ham to their plate.
"Traditional fare like chips and salsa and veggie trays just doesn't cut it anymore when it comes to entertaining for the Big Game," said Jon Lewallen, Director of Marketing at Cook's. "One of the best ways to add new flavor to the annual party is to incorporate traditional foods from the host city - and with this year's game being played in Miami, it's the perfect chance to spice up the party with Cuban-inspired foods."
Try developing a sandwich bar that reflects the Cuban heritage of vibrant and culturally rich Miami. Help your guests create traditional Cuban ham and pork sandwiches with a Cook's Ham, fresh rolls, sliced pork, pickles and Swiss cheese. Arrange the sandwich bar around your ham and provide a basket of rolls, platters of the sliced pork and Swiss cheese, and plenty of condiments. The self-serve sandwich bar allows guests to create their sandwiches during time outs but with enough ease so they're back in their seat before the next play.
To add the flavors of Miami try incorporating one or all of these Cuban inspired sauces:
Take a Walk on the Dark Side. Black beans, a staple in Cuban cooking, are a perfect complement to the flavors of ham and pork. Combine the beans with bacon, onions, peppers, garlic, herbs and spices to create a traditional Black Bean Spread that will add depth to your sandwich. Make extra and you can use it as a dip for fried plantains - another Cuban favorite.
"Olive" the Cuban Flavor. In Cuba, ham is combined with olives and pickles to create a filling for traditional home-made empanadas. But, it is just as delicious when you omit the ham and combine olives, pickles and cream cheese to create a spread to complement freshly sliced ham. The Cuban olive spread adds a creamy texture and Miami flavor to any ham sandwich.
Get Your Mojo Working. Cuban Mojo Sauce is a garlic lover's dream. Whether you like a little or a lot, it is the ideal finishing touch to complete the flavors of a Cuban sandwich bar. Combining garlic and onions with olive oil and citrus juices creates a flavorful sauce that's thick enough to spread on sandwiches, but can also easily be used as a dip for the completed sandwiches.
For guests who prefer their ham the traditional way, try using Cook's new Sweet Ham Glaze and Dipping Sauce. The eight-ounce liquid glaze packet is now included with all Cook's spiral sliced hams and features a deliciously sweet flavor that is literally ready-to-use straight from the package. Brush on the glaze for a simple, sweet balance to the savory, old fashioned taste of bone-in ham. Without the need to add water and boil like standard, dry granular glazes, at-home chefs can enjoy even more time with their families while still savoring the great taste of an old fashioned bone-in-ham.
Cook's Ham Scores Any Time of the Year
Many ham cuts are less than 200 calories per three-ounce cooked serving, making the robust taste of bone-in ham part of a
healthful diet. For example, Cook's bone-in ham steaks, which are cut from the center of their traditional bone-in hams,
are typically 94 percent lean, providing an excellent source of protein.
As the leading brand of hickory smoked traditional and spiral sliced bone-in ham, Cook's takes pride in using only the best quality meat for their ham. Cook's hams consistently meet the highest quality standards and can be purchased at supermarket chains and independent grocers throughout the United States and Canada.
Cooks Ham, Inc. is the nation's leading processor and marketer of smoked bone-in ham, corned beef and other allied smoked meat items. Founded in 1983, Cooks Ham, Inc. markets its products under the Cook's brand to leading supermarket chains and independent grocers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., Cooks Ham, Inc. is an independent operating company of Smithfield Foods. Cook's manufacturing facilities are located in Lincoln, Neb., Grayson Ky. and Kansas City, Mo.
