“Kurobuta, the red­hot foodie Pre-Headline

obsession, becomes,”
“The Greatest Holiday Ham Headline
I've ever tasted!”
“Outrageously Juicy, Flavorful and
Melt­in­your­mouth tender.”

LARGE AND SMALL HAMS SOLD OUT Sub-headlines

And now you and your guests can be among the tiny handful of
Americans who will savor and serve this astonishing ham this holiday
Lead season...but only if you reserve one by Tuesday, December 11, 2007!

Dear Ham Lover,

If you’re a lover of great ham—prepare to have your life changed!

Have you noticed on menus today at America’s greatest restaurants that chefs like
Thomas Keller are going wild with dishes made from Kurobuta pork—an exotic breed
of Japanese hog?

Foodies everywhere are hailing Kurobuta as the “Kobe beef” of pork!

But when I noticed that no one was

creating ham from Kurobuta pigs, I personally What famous chefs, food
sprang into action... leading to the writers and passionate foodies
development of the greatest hunk o’ baked are saying about “Kurobuta”
ham for your holiday season that you will ever pork, as quoted in major media
experience!
“Kurobuta,” or Japanese black hog, is
Best of all, you can have one of these revered for its exceptional flavor,
juiciness and tenderness. It is quickly
unbelievably succulent haunches delivered
becoming known as “the Kobe beef of
right to your door in time for the Holidays! pork,” a favorite of top chefs, food
First, let me tell you how I got involved with writers and foodies across the
this rare and delicious meat... country. Here is a sampling of their
rave reviews...
A few years ago, I plunged myself
headlong into the wide world of ham in “The meat is moist, tender and
preparation for a comprehensive ham tasting almost buttery, with a bright, fresh
taste.You know that you have hold of
for the March, 2004, issue of The
a piece of pig.”
Rosengarten Report. —R.W. Apple, Jr., New York Times
Like Lewis & Clark exploring a new “Kurobuta pork offers a unique taste
continent, I committed myself to leading a experience. Its texture is exquisite—
journalistic expedition through the uncharted supple, yet meaty. Its flavor is lush,
wilderness of hamdom, to map out the distinctive and abundant. And the
territory and find... marbling yields unparalleled juiciness
for pork...The meat glistens when you
cut it.”
The Ham That Has It All! —Lobel’s famous New York butcher

Okay, call me a foodie fussbudget, but “Very rich flavor and it has a depth
after months of research and tasting more that you haven’t seen in pork for
than 100 hams, to my surprise, I couldn’t find awhile.”
a single ham that satisfied me on every —Thomas Keller, chef­owner of The
count. French Laundry restaurant,Yountville,
California and Per Se restaurant, New
Oh, I loved some of the hams I tasted. York
Passionately even. But not one had the ideal “Kurobuta is the Ben & Jerry’s of
jumble of the many factors that, for me, would pork: socially conscientious and
comprise The Perfect Ham,The Platonic sinfully delicious.”
Ham, The Ham Than Which There Can Be —TIME magazine
No Greater.
“Customers who have never heard of
At every turn, I kept feeling... “Darn! If Kurobuta order the pork as a novelty
and are blown away by the quality of
only I were calling the hammy shots! I’d make
the meat.”
every top­quality choice along the way!” —Govind Armstrong, Table 8
Because I learned that’s what it takes— restaurant, Los Angeles
knowing what the top­quality choices are, and
having the courage to spend whatever it “It has terrifically marbled meat, and it
takes to make them. tastes sweet and clean. I see its
popularity exploding.”
Well, I lived with this aching —Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at
disappointment for about a year—during Stone Barns Restaurant, as quoted in
The Boston Globe
which time, I started to hear more and more
about a small band of quality livestock “The Kurobuta is my most expensive
producers in America struggling to bring back thing on the menu. But you really do
“heritage” breeds of pork. Somebody had to get what you pay for.”
do something—because American pork —Riko Bartoleme, Asia Vous
producers in the 1990s had moved en masse restaurant, San Diego
to produce a leaner, drier and far less “The flavor’s incredible, and how
flavorful pork they marketed as “the other tender it is. It’s so well taken care of.”
white meat.” Yuk! “Where’s the pork?” people —Rick Tramonto, chefowner,
like me have been asking for years. Tru restaurant, Chicago

At the head of the new, full­flavored, “Melt­in­your­mouth tender.”

“heritage” piggie pack is a Japanese breed of —Rodelio Aglibot, Yi Cuisine
restaurant, Los Angeles
pig called Kurobuta, which after being
enthusiastically embraced by top chefs like “It has a natural juiciness to it that
Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, has you can’t compare to any other pork.”
become one of the hottest foodie obsessions, —Michael Kaphan, chef at Strata,
according to Bon Appétit magazine. Many say New York
that Kurobuta pork is to regular pork as Kobe
beef is to regular steak.

Flash! A Light Bulb Pops On in My Head!

The one thing I hadn’t seen, however, was Kurobuta ham. So, I started thinking...
What would happen if I found me some of this stellar Kurobuta pork, had it raised just
the way I like it...and had it delivered to a ham specialist who’d be willing to cure and
smoke a hind leg of Kurobuta to my specifications? Would I not then have on my
hands the ham of hams, the hyper­ham, the greatest ham story ever told, the
Grandest Ham What Am?

In a word, the answer is... “Yes!!!”

“My guests were astounded”
And the reason I know the answer is
because I had that ham made, have had my Comments from those who ordered
mind blown by it, and then offered it to my the Rosengarten Kurobuta Ham last
readers the last two holiday seasons. And it year
blew their minds, too! Every reaction I’ve
“I purchased one of the Kurobuta
gotten has been over the moon. In all my whole hams for Easter. It was the
professional life involved with food products, I absolute best any of my family have
have never seen such a universally ecstatic ever tasted. Everything you said
response as this ham has triggered.You can about it was absolutely right on. It
read for yourself some typical comments at literally melts in your mouth. I
right, chosen from more than 400 thrilled certainly intend to purchase another
customers who took the time to write me. ham for the holidays. PLEASE tell
me they’ll be available for the
So, back by overwhelming popular holidays.
demand, I’m now offering you the chance to Thanks for the great work you do in
put this ultimate Rosengarten Kurobuta Ham bringing QUALITY products for us to
on your table this holiday season. enjoy”.
—Mike Smith, Marion, NY
I am certain that you will say, along with
me and hundreds of Rosengarten Report “The best ham—Holiday or otherwise
readers who are now passionate devotées, —I’ve ever tasted. But here’s the
downside: (1) No leftovers;
“This is, without any question, the greatest
guests divided them up among
ham I’ve ever tasted!!!” I’m sure you will also themselves and left me with the
say, along with us, “Holy mackerel! Kurobuta ‘tidbits’! (2) I made all the side dishes
ham! How exotic! How wonderful! Who you recommended. My husband
knew???” LOVED the carrot soufflé which
means I have to keep making it. (3)
Let’s Talk “Kurobuta” First My guests have threatened to show
up for ham at other holidays, and I’m
The breed actually arose in England, not sure if I can get more Kurobuta
ham. Please advise! All in all a most
where it’s called “Berkshire” pork. But the
rewarding experience I’d love to
English, in the 19th century, sent off a
repeat.”
shipment of Berkshire hogs as a gift to —Lisa Lapore, Carmel, NY
Japanese diplomats—and the Japanese
really flipped out.They gave the breed the “The texture was velvety, the flavor
name “Kurobuta,” meaning “black pig” (its sublime. One of my guests observed,
coat is basically black), and developed an ‘The meat just melts in your mouth.’ I
want to to it again next year,
international reputation for Kurobuta pork,
PLEASE!”
much as they did for Kobe beef. —Gary Coleman, Trenton, NJ

And Why Are These “I have been holding Easter dinners at

Porkers Superior? my house for years. My parents,
brothers, sisters and all their families
come for the event.We have ordered
As you might expect, Kurobuta pigs yield
meat that is indeed fattier than American Pettijean hams, aged hams from
supermarket pork. But—here’s the really cool Europe (Spain and France) but
thing—Kurobuta, though richly endowed with nothing compares to this Kurobuta
ham.
intramuscular fat, is not among the fattiest of
breeds, which means that you never get a “My parents, both of whom grew up in
fatty, greasy taste when eating the pork. rural Iowa and Nebraska—my mother
grew up on a farm in Iowa— said this
Instead, the real distinction of Kurobuta reminded them of hams they used to
pork is a shorter, rounder muscle fiber— eat on the farm when they were
which, incredibly, leads to a much higher younger.They were absolutely in
retention of moisture in the meat. heaven.”
—Ed Shada, Omaha, NE
In other words, this stuff is outrageously
juicy! Furthermore, Kurobuta pigs are
slower­growing than other breeds, which—as in slow­growing grapes—leads to much
deeper flavor in the final product.These animals, in fact, take a whole month longer to
fatten up than other pigs do. Most of the chefs raving about Kurobuta are saying this
is the “porkiest” pork they’ve ever tasted.

But it’s not just chefs. In 1992, the National Pork Producers Council ran 20 quality
tests on nine different breeds of pig—and our friend Kurobuta proudly trotted off
with top honors in 19 of the 20 categories, including “juiciest,” “most tender,” and
“most flavorful!”

And I’d say the Pork Producers Council really got it right, based on all the
Kurobuta pork dishes I’d been tasting in high­end restaurants. But while sampling the
field, I did notice something very curious—no one was offering ham made from
Kurobuta pigs!

And that’s when I sprang into the breach. First, I researched all the major
American ham producers.Though I did not discover any that were already up and
running in producing Kurobuta hams, I did discover one that was about to get into the
ham game. I made contact immediately, did a little negotiating, and the rest was ham
history—the best ham that I and my readers who ordered last year had ever tasted.

Why This Ham Is So Special

The producer I’m working with is Snake River Farms, an Idaho company foundedin
1989 dedicated to the production of an American version of Kobe beef. Well before I
came into their lives, they had earned a reputation as one of the very greatest
American producers of Kobe­style beef.

I had tasted their Kurobuta pork before,

and loved it.When I discovered “I now know how ham is
that they were also getting into the Kurobuta supposed to taste.”
ham business, I had a ham prototype shipped
to me immediately. It was terrific. But, I have More rave reviews from those
this very specific image of ham perfection in who’ve tasted this amazing ham
my head, and I noted a few things I would “I was raised in Tennessee on ham
change... which is exactly what I proceeded and am always searching for ones
to do. that have complex flavor, good
texture and just enough salt.Your
 As a result, Snake River Farms is now ham was without a doubt the best I
sending their killer Kurobuta pork... in my have ever eaten.
name...raised on traditional corn and
“The meat was nicely marbled, moist
soybeans...to an Idaho smokehouse (in and had distinctive texture. I did
business for over 100 years)...that is serve it to eight for the holidays. The
producing Kurobuta ham according to my comments were full of superlatives
precise curing and seasoning specifications! and we reluctantly shared the
leftovers with several of our
Oodles of Rich Juice See the guests.We had ham and biscuits
with sourwood honey, a delicious
from This Ham! spaghetti carbonara and ham
sandwiches with the leftovers. I look
Oh... my... goodness! This stuff has a big, forward to the next opportunity to
fatty, crusty, natural­looking cap, with an enjoy your truly remarkable pig!”
intriguing reddish­brown burnish. One slice, —Jim Wright, Somerville, MA
and you know you’re in Kurobuta territory—as
the rich juice seethes from the ham, beads on “I don't like ham and only serve it
when I have been pressured into it by
the surface, glistens brightly everywhere.
my family. It's always rubbery, dry
and tasteless. My dad is the one who
And that color! Kurobuta is known for its
saw your Kurobuta ham offer (he's
deep color, but because I have urged also a ham lover) and decided to take
master curer Patrick Florence to go light on the plunge. And I am so happy he
the cure, this ham is a very beautiful pale did. I now know how ham is supposed
version of a good healthy pink. to taste. It was beautiful. Moist,
tender and flavorful. I served it over
It is, after all, the lightness and deftness the holidays at our family celebration.
of cure that I value most highly in a great The ham was the best we've ever
ham.Too much cure, and you’ve got a red, tasted. It's all we talked about for
springy, rubbery, supermarket­y kind of thing. days.”
—Mary Hamilton, Edmonds,WA
Too little cure, and you’ve got nothing but a
pork roast. But with the right amount of cure “We really enjoyed the ham. Our
—you’ve got pork that went to finishing relatives usually have Honeybaked,
school, the apotheosis of pork, brought and we like this better. We have also
about by the hand of man. had the Niman Ranch ham, which is
more to our taste than the
Honeybaked, but yours was even
Leaves Your Guests in Awe
better.”
—Tim Johnson, Los Angeles, CA
And when the pork that you begin with is
this astonishingly, intrinsically delicious— “It was all you promised and then
you end up with a ham, like this one, that is some. Family attacked the ham with
deeply porky in flavor, with a rich, round, gusto and provided great
wildly satisfying, almost buttery taste that compliments. For years we have
leaves your guests in awe. used Harrington, but now you have a
group of converts."
Speaking of taste, I have collaborated —J. Jerry Rodos,Western Springs, IL
with the cure­master to make sure that
nothing in the production overwhelms the
flavor of the underlying Kurobuta pork. Smoking is done in an extremely gentle, old­
fashioned way over maple hardwood. There is also a rub on the outside, a rub I
developed from an Ozark mixture I tasted last year. But the combo of brown sugar and
spice is extremely subtle, really doing not much more than provoking the insanely deep
porkiness of it all.
 When you take your first bite of this miracle product, you will immediately
apprehend how all of the many elements have come together in one refined and
exquisite quiver of ham perfection, an ideal moment in time captured in the haunch of
a hog. It is, to be sure—and at long last—The Ham That Has It All.

Comes in Two Sizes

The Kurobuta hams of which I sing come

in two sizes—the Half Ham, which weighs in “A new slice of luxury; Los
at about 7 to 9 pounds... and the Whole Ham Angeles chefs are swooning
at 17 to 20 pounds.The weight is in a range over Kurobuta pork, and now
because, unlike mass­produced, “factory” home cooks can too.”
hams that are virtually identical, these are —Los Angeles Times
artisanal hams. Each is unique, just like the
“There’s a new pig in town. It’s called
freeroaming animals from which they’re Kurobuta, and for those who prefer
made. their pork flavorful, rich and tender
rather than lean and mean, this is
Now some people always prefer the half great news...
ham; it’s usually the fear of leftovers that
motivates them.The witty Dorothy Parker “Kurobuta, which is also known as
once quipped, “Eternity is a ham and two Berkshire pork, means ‘black pig’ in
Japanese.The pig... has shorter
people.” But dear Dorothy obviously never
muscle fibers and more marbling than
ate Kurobuta pork, or she would’ve eaten her what’s known in the industry as ‘bulk
words! I love ham leftovers, and you will, too, commodity pork.’ The result is meat
especially when you see the recipes I’ve got that, when cooked, is plump and
for them (more on this in a moment.) Truth juicy, terrifically rich, with a deep pink
be told, the whole ham is the better bargain, color.
giving you twice as much meat for much less
“Showing up on some of the best
than twice the cost.
menus around town, Kurobuta seems
poised to do for pork what heirloom
How to Serve the Perfect Ham varieties did for the tomato... ”
—Los Angeles Times
Whether you order the Half or the Whole
Ham, I’ll be sure to throw in my specific
instructions for warming and carving your
ham to perfection, as well as my favorite recipes for ham accompaniments, including a
treasured family recipe.What’s more, I’ll provide my best recommendations for ham­
friendly wines. And, make no mistake: ham and the right wine can be excellent friends.

Bring on Those Leftovers!

One of the great ham traditions in many households—certainly mine!—is the

enjoyment of leftovers for many meals afterward. I love ham leftovers so much that
through the years, I’ve put together my own little collection of awesome recipes for just
this purpose, and I’m going to share them with you, as well.

These favorite recipes will have you

savoring each ham meal as much as your “My guests are still talking
first ham dinner.You’ll enjoy my best­ever about it. No one at the table
recipes for: had ever tasted anything like it.
My 85 year old mother­in–law,
Quintessential Quiche... the Cubano who grew up on a farm in
Sandwich... Ham, Fennel, and Potato Alabama and claims she hasn’t
Gratin... Southern­style Ham Biscuits... Brie has a good ham for 50 years,
and Smoked Ham on Sourdough Ficelle... said it was the best she’s ever
had.”
among others.
—Ed Myers, Rancho Mirage, CA
We Must Receive Your Order “LOVED the ham! The #1 ham we've
No Later Than Midnight, ever eaten, by a mile! As I stood over
my kitchen island scarfing down
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
just a few more bits of leftovers, I
realized I just had to thank you for
I must tell you, however, that supplies of
recommending the best ham ever!"
this rare Kurobuta ham are very limited. And —Laurie Carloni, Spring Lake, NJ
there’s a time limit, too.Your order can be Innkeeper, The Evergreen Inn Bed &
accepted only if we receive it by midnight, Breakfast Winner, Best Breakfast in
Tuesday, December 11, 2007. Any orders the Northeast Arrington's Inn Traveler
received thereafter will be reluctantly 2005
returned.
“We have a large family in the valley
and so 28 of us descended on the
Your Kurobuta ham will be shipped for
ham for our holiday dinner and
guaranteed delivery during the week of everyone was raving that we had not
December 17th. This means that if you’re had this kind of ham since the Middle
planning to serve your ham for the holidays, Ages."
it’s guaranteed to arrive in plenty of time. It’s —Mary Jo Baich
also why we can accept no orders after
midnight, Tuesday, December 11, 2007.

Have your order in our hands before the clock strikes twelve, however, and you
and your guests are going to be in for taste thrills that will have everyone at your table
agreeing with my assessment—this is the best, juiciest, most flavorful and tender ham
you have ever tasted.You’ll see! This experience is going to spoil you forever for all
other hams.

If you want to serve something truly extraordinary this holiday season, and then let
your family (and yourself!) enjoy the most heavenly leftovers for many days to come, I
urge you to place your order now.

Just click on one of the links below to start your order, or you can phone or fax
your order as well.

I urge you to do so now, before this opportunity slips away!

Yours for fabulous foods,

David Rosengarten

LARGE AND SMALL HAMS SOLD OUT FOR THE YEAR.

PLEASE CHECK BACK NEXT YEAR.
P.S. Your purchase is protected by our 100% money­back satisfaction guarantee.
What’s more, many other mail order sources that ship ordinary hams—lacking all the
amazing Kurobuta flavor and juiciness—also charge you up to $50 for shipping and
handling!

Yes, it can be expensive to ship a 17­to­20 pound ham! But we’ve negotiated a far
more attractive deal for shipping your ham right to your door. Please see the details on
the next page... and then be sure to get your order into our hands before the cutoff,
midnight, Tuesday, December 11. I assure you, neither you nor your guests have ever
tasted ham this incredibly flavorful, juicy and tender—as you will taste for yourself!