Gourmet Magazine produced a taste test of ham specialties for the Easter holiday. In this instance, Gourmet's editors tested city hams and the alternatives to the traditional dry-salt cured country ham. Here is some of what they had to say about ham, and in particular, Newsom's "Preacher" ham. Gourmet Magazine February, 2005 Volume LXV, Number 2 TESTING FOR PERFECTION HAMMING IT UP When we tested mail-order hams for their Easter dinner suitability, we ended up organizing them into two categories: Smoky and Mild. Sometimes a super-smoky ham is shown to greater advantages when used almost as a condiment, nestled into a fresh, warm biscuit or shredded into a risotto, for instance. All the hams we tried are city cured, or baked, hams; they are juicy, meaty hams that are often glazed or studded with cloves, not the dry-salt-cured type. When ordering a half ham, we generally prefer the shank end - it looks more elegant, plus you get a bone for soup. We also prefer a ham that isn't spiral cut; those dry out too much in the oven. For testing purposes, we simply ordered what was available at the time from each producer. The rule of thumb for heating a half through is 10 minutes per pound in the middle of a 325-degree F oven. Wrap it in foil first; if the ham comes already wrapped in foil, check for a plastic layer underneath, discarding it if found. SMOKY HAMS WE LIKE HAM FLAVOR & TEXTURE VISUAL APPEAL . . . Col. Newsom's Hams (Kentucky) bone-in "Preacher" half ham (7 to 9 lb.) . . . If you love hickory smoke and juicy meat, you'll love this, although a plateful might be too much of a good thing (try it tucked inside biscuits instead).