NORWALK, Conn., March 2, 2005— Stew Leonard’s customers are hamming it up this holiday – 16 percent of total annual ham sales occur during the week leading up to Easter, making it the most popular main dish entrée for Easter Sunday brunches and dinners. In a 2004 nationwide survey conducted by the National Pork Board, 64 percent of Americans serve ham as the centerpiece of the Easter meal, making April the second strongest month (after December) for ham sales.

For customers who do not want to spend their holiday in the kitchen, Stew’s catering offers a fully-prepared, oven-ready Easter dinner, including a full or half spiral ham topped with our number-one selling freshly made pineapple glaze,” said Art Weiss, Executive Chef at Stew Leonard’s in Danbury. “Our chefs prepare an array of side dishes to complement the ham, including potatoes au gratin, grilled asparagus and sweet potato mousse that are available through catering or ready-prepared in the Mrs. Leonard’s gourmet section.” Stew Leonard’s chefs prepare 1,000 hams through Easter catering orders. The spiral glazed hams are available for $45.00 for a half ham and $80.00 for a whole ham. Other popular entrees ordered through catering include the roasted leg of lamb and fresh roasted turkey. The catering menu and ordering form are available online at www.stewleonards.com. Stew’s catering consultants are also available by phone--Norwalk: 203.847.7213 ext. 268; Danbury 203.790.8030 ext. 6228 and Yonkers: 914.375.4700.

In addition to hams ordered through catering, all three Stew Leonard’s stores sell nearly 36,000 hams from the meat department during Easter week.

Our best selling ham is Stew Leonard’s bone-in, spiral-sliced Virginia country ham made by Smithfield. It has a wonderful hickory smoked flavor and comes fully-cooked, so it is full-proof to prepare, yet makes an elegant Easter meal,” said Lou Trani, manager of Norwalk’s meat department.

Following are some “Ham How-To” tips for buying, storing and preparing from Stew Leonard’s Chefs::
Selecting:
● Look for lean: Buy a ham with very little bone to avoid waste and steer clear of overly fatty hams.
● Avoid hams that have added water to them. Make sure the label says “ham” and not “ham in natural juices” or “ham – added water.”
● Bone-in hams serve two to three people per pound, while boneless hams serve four to five people per pound. If feeding 10 people or less, buy a half-ham; whole hams can typically serve up to 20 guests.

Storing:
● Kept in its original packaging, a ham will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator, since it is already fully cooked and cured. Do not store in the freezer.

Preparing:
● Stew Leonard’s carries fully-cooked hams that only require reheating prior to serving. To do this, heat oven to 325 degrees, and plan on 10 to 12 minutes per pound. The ham should reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
● Glazing a ham not only seals in the meat’s moisture, but also adds flavor and aroma. In addition, as the glaze caramelizes, it gives the ham an appealing texture. All of Stew Leonard’s hams come with a packaged honey glaze, or customers can opt for making Stew’s Pineapple Glaze (which can be bought freshly prepared at Stew’s or made with the recipe below.)
● To glaze a ham, line the roasting pan with foil before baking. After the ham is heated through (after cooking about one hour), take the ham out of the oven. Increase the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread glaze over entire surface of ham, and repeat every 20 minutes for the remainder of the cooking time, basting with pan juices and brushing on additional glaze. When done, remove from oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Stew Leonard’s Pineapple Glaze
Makes enough glaze for a 6 to 8 pound half bone-in ham

1/2 cup diced fresh or crushed canned pineapple
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon-style yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Follow directions for glazing (above), or alternatively, brush onto ham during last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Wine Pairing
• Stew Leonard’s wine experts recommend a Reisling or Pinot Noir to pair with your holiday ham. The Reisling has an incredible ripeness of fruit that provides a nice contrast to the salty and smoky flavor of the ham, yet pairs well with the pineapple glaze and side dishes like asparagus. A Pinot Noir, with its delicate qualities of bright black cherry and fruit flavors also pairs well since it is a softer more complex wine that compliments a variety of side dishes and does not overpower most foods.

Also Egg-stremely Popular: Easter Gift Baskets, Mums & Lilies

For the little bunnies of the household, Stew Leonard’s offers a “Bunny Basket” through the store’s online gift center – www.stewleonardsgifts.com or by calling 1-800-SAY-STEW. The basket is filled with holiday favorites including marshmallow Peeps, malted chocolate covered robins eggs, jelly beans, a solid milk chocolate bunny and a soft and huggable 16" plush bunny and costs $24.99.
Easter lilies are a sure sign that Spring has arrived. Stew Leonard’s florists get their lilies direct from greenhouses in North Haven, Connecticut. There is a wide variety of lilies to choose from, all guaranteed to have at least five blooms per plant. Also popular to decorate the Easter table, are freshly-cut tulips from Holland.

Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y., with a fourth store planned in East Farmingdale, N.Y. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work” for the past four consecutive years. For more information visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.

 

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