I like spiral sliced hams, especially for serving guests. It just makes things easier and neater. I got a very nice one at a great price after Easter. Since we had our dinner this weekend instead of last, it worked out perfectly. It was very good, and now we have leftovers for breakfast or lunches. Do you like spiral hams? They can sometimes be pricey, but when you get a good deal on one, they are really hard to beat, if you ask me.
They can be pricey, but if you consider how much meat you get (and how good it is) as well as what you can do with the ham bone afterwards it really isn't too expensive. I don't eat ham like that very often but when I do I really love it. Especially the ones, like you bought, that are cut up for you already...yum! I also make stock out of the ham bone, which is putting more money in my pocket (and leave me with more stock for later). Plus all that ham you have left is at LEAST 4 or 5 meals after the actual dinner party.
Spiral honey ham is my favorite. In fact, I am now craving for some! There is a Honey Ham store in my city that is always busy. The line is usually wrap around the building especially during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter!
If I am making ham for myself or my family, I prefer to go to our local butcher and pick out a nice one that's fresh. They get their meat from local farmers, so you know it hasn't been flown from across the country or sitting around in some freezer for months. However, if I am entertaining, or feeding a large group of people. and ham is one of the things I will be providing, then I will go with a spiral sliced ham because I think it is not only more convenient but it helps keep individual portions in check. Plus the hams are often trimmed up nicely so you don't have to spend time cleaning off the excess fat. But I've always found the spiral sliced hams to not be quite as juicy as the standard hams.
I like them for when serving to guests, yes. It cuts down on the serving time especially because they're pre-sliced and easy for people to self-serve even. If I'm cooking for myself and wanting to freeze parts of the ham, though, I prefer buying other varieties that I can customize the slice sizes.
