What's on Your Easter Menu: Ham or Lamb?
Photographs from iStockPhoto.com
Ham and lamb have been showing up on the Easter table for hundreds of years. Lamb is an older tradition, originating with the first Passover feast. Easter ham is a tradition that dates to pre-Christian Europe, when the pig was considered a symbol of luck. Both are delicious, so ham or lamb: What's on your Easter menu?
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43 Comments:
Ham....
arm1970 at 7:20AM on 04/09/09
Neither. We're having rabbit. And mom is bringing something with chocolate and peanuts for dessert.
Amandarama at 7:21AM on 04/09/09
Ham
freehafe at 7:22AM on 04/09/09
Neither - I will be alone for Easter dinner this year (and haven't decided what I will make). When I was younger, if my Irish maternal grandmother made Easter dinner, it was the classic ham. If my Norwegian paternal grandmother made Easter dinner, it was a wonderful pot roast. And, in either case, angel food cake with strawberries for dessert. I miss my grandmas.
studyzone at 7:46AM on 04/09/09
A lovely leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, asparagus, baked pineapple, rolls, gravy and a lemon mousse pie.
Amandarama .. I hope no small children are attending your dinner, that could be somewhat tramatic : )
NanaJoie at 8:01AM on 04/09/09
My MIL makes both -- lamb for her sons -- ham for me and sister-in-law, and different side dishes for the two meats. Neither my SIL nor I grew up eating lamb and we never developed a taste for it.
goodlearner at 8:16AM on 04/09/09
Amandarama & NanaJoie - I remember when I was about 7 or 8 and my grandpa made rabbit for us...my brother told me it was the Easter Bunny. TERRIBLE! Of course, my brother also used to charge me my tooth fairy money to pull my loose teeth out.
arm1970 at 8:25AM on 04/09/09
Lamb barbacoa, using the Homesick Texan's recipe.
cmbarrytx at 8:28AM on 04/09/09
Roast leg of lamb with garlic, using a Cook's Illustrated recipe. I love lamb!
Junie at 8:42AM on 04/09/09
All about a letg of lamb... probably simply roasted after given a good rub down with some herby goodness.
Jarod8bit at 8:55AM on 04/09/09
Neither. 2 animals I don't eat, though I won't pass up the lamb-shaped chocolates!
sadiepix at 9:12AM on 04/09/09
Lamb for sure!
purplepotato at 9:20AM on 04/09/09
Did you know that it is considered the height of bad taste to serve lamb at a Passover seder? Because the Holy Temple is gone, and we cannot offer the Paschal sacrifice, it's not kosher (no pun intended) to eat lamb during Passover.
DrGaellon at 9:21AM on 04/09/09
Neither--I'm a pescatarian (although I'm sure my husband would love to have lamb on Easter). We'll probably make fish.
Growing up though we always had ham. My mom had a serious problem with "eating babies" (her term, not mine!).
SEAtoNYC at 9:27AM on 04/09/09
We'll be eating ham, but we always have a butter lamb... so I guess both will be represented?
Jengraf at 9:27AM on 04/09/09
Why pick! We're having both!
darth_kittius at 9:52AM on 04/09/09
a nice locally grown ham - smoked .... probably with a fresh pineapple glaze. maybe some scalloped potatoes and tons of asparagus....
pooch at 10:00AM on 04/09/09
Blue-cheese and Mint Stuffed Lamb!
Kevin at 10:04AM on 04/09/09
Lemon thyme lamb chops, ala Patricia Wells. Even people who don't care for lamb like these.
cookielady at 11:13AM on 04/09/09
Chocolate.
HeartofGlass at 11:45AM on 04/09/09
Hopefully ham. I say 'hopefully' because the MIL hasn't extended an invitation for Easter dinner yet. If she does, we'll eat whatever is offered and I'm hoping for ham. If she doesn't, I'm buying a ham and making it myself. I never developed a taste for lamb.
AuntJone at 11:47AM on 04/09/09
We'll be eating Thumper, and having carrot cake for dessert. Not traditional, but maybe a new tradition for myself and the boyfriend. We had Thumper last year too, and it was my first time eating bunny. YUM!
nightowl at 12:01PM on 04/09/09
Not going home for Easter, but I think the small group dinner on Saturday night will have ham. If we can find the time to cook it after the lax Day of Rivals. =)
kfarrel3 at 12:03PM on 04/09/09
Lamb, grilled chunks of shoulder marinated in white wine, herbs, lemon, garlic, and anchovy. Absolutely wonderful! Mom is doing sides, I sure hope it is not roasted red potatoes...I made suggestions, but they didn't elicit much response....
Cary at 12:27PM on 04/09/09
Neither, I'm making a big ol roast Turkey. Traditional for Thanksgiving, perhaps, but there's nothing quite like having a big roast bird when you have people over.
pcrackenhead at 12:38PM on 04/09/09
Lamb here with asparagus and some kind of starch side dish - maybe potatoes Anna?
Maureen at 12:40PM on 04/09/09
Both, baby, both!
CEBakes at 1:21PM on 04/09/09
Ham!!! Mmmm, so delicious. I just can't bear to eat those cute baby lambs no matter how succulent and flavorful.
Pointy at 2:00PM on 04/09/09
I guess it's obvious I'm a vegetarian because I want to hug both of them. Together. In one big, squishy hug.
Growing up we always had ham, though. With cloves all studded up in it and pineapple slices. My mom never cooked lamb. The best part about Easter is the jelly beans as far as I'm concerned anyway.
VerySmallAnna at 2:09PM on 04/09/09
@studyzone I miss my grandma's too! And Easter dinner was one of my favorites with my maternal Grandma.
@nightowl.. something wonderfully bizzare about rabbit and carrot cake for Easter dinner
Oh yea, Ham, but i'd rather have Lamb.
TeriN at 2:25PM on 04/09/09
Ham.
Scoggdog at 2:41PM on 04/09/09
Lamb, roasted or grilled. Never really liked plain ham for Easter. Fortunately when I was growing up, there were always "sides" -- stuffed artichokes, manicotti, roasted red peppers, eggplant parm -- so I certainly didn't suffer.
yumporchetta at 3:30PM on 04/09/09
Lamb, I don't really care for the ham.
jammarita at 3:38PM on 04/09/09
Ham...... with a cripsy glaze. Match that up with homemade macaroni and cheese and green beans with roasted corn topped with parm regg and romano cheese. Yum!
Tootsie at 3:47PM on 04/09/09
Tofu?
KarynMC at 4:16PM on 04/09/09
Tofu!
Why did you guys pick the cutest animal pictures ever? Easter guilt?
ellephant at 5:54PM on 04/09/09
Lamb. My sister is obsessed with a recipe that I make with it and has specially requested lamb for the family Easter dinner. I can't say I'm upset, it is an amazing recipe and is insanely delicious!
eriikkaa at 8:35PM on 04/09/09
Neither - I don't eat pork because (IMHO) pigs are treated so poorly and I don't eat lamb because my Dad always called my Mom Lambie when I was a kid. It seems wrong. :) We are having a turkey.
Heatherdee at 8:51PM on 04/09/09
Thursday I picked up an absolutely gorgeous semi-boneless leg of lamb. It's even free-range!!
Unfortunately, I had to stuff it into the freezer because our primary Easter dish will be a spiral ham. (On which I will nibble - enough so as to not draw attention to myself - while I concentrate on the many delicious side dishes instead. So while the rest of the family happily eats and enjoys the ham, I will be enjoying an assortment of cheeses, asparagus w/ Hollandaise sauce, steamed carrots, scalloped potatoes, and homemade applesauce.)
PS: @erikkaa - are you able to share, or is your "amazing... and... insanely delicious" lamb recipe a deep dark family secret?
Robbo at 12:44AM on 04/10/09
Even if I celebrated Easter and served one of these, I wouldn't want to after seeing these pictures of the animals! Jeez, way to make us feel like barbarians :)
Hillary
Chew on That at 4:21PM on 04/10/09
Ham and a standing rib roast.
bobbob at 4:46PM on 04/10/09
Neither. Sort of. We're having a pork roast. Cuban-style, which for some reason we call peegleeg. With black beans and rice. And plantains. Boy, are the inlaws going to be surprised. hehe.
dbcurrie at 5:07PM on 04/10/09
We had Pork Roast.
staria at 1:26PM on 04/13/09