“We noticed that while a couple of turkeys got clemency today, not a single pig was pardoned, easy as it may be to indict a ham sandwich. Which brings us to the great Thanksgiving debate, turkey or ham? Here’s Kelly O’Grady.
Kelly O’Grady: Turkey has long been the undisputed heavyweight champion of Thanksgiving, but now another holiday underdog is making a play for the plate.
[BELL RINGING]
What are you cooking, ham or turkey?
– Turkey.
– I do both.
– OK. Yeah, yeah.
– Why choose?
– I feel like turkey is the most universal. You can use it for sandwiches afterwards. Go with turkey.
Kelly O’Grady: According to a survey by Jennie-O, nearly 40% of Americans like to have ham on the table. Greg Bardwell is the head butcher at The Meat Hook in Brooklyn, where pork is front and center.
Why do you think some people prefer ham?
– It’s easier. It’s precooked. You just have to slice it, throw it in the oven, warm it up. It’s done. Having to carve a turkey is a very stressful thing for a lot of people.
– I know that great scene from Christmas Vacation where he cuts in, and it’s–
Greg Bardwell: And it just deflates.
Kelly O’Grady: [INAUDIBLE]. It’s terrible.
Why do you think people feel they have to have a turkey?
– It’s just so ingrained in American culture that, when you think of Thanksgiving, what do you think of? You think of the turkey.
Kelly O’Grady: Bardwell says turkey generally costs less per pound, but you’ll need more of it to feed the same number of guests.
– If I have to put you on the spot, day of, you’re going to the table. Are you team ham or team turkey?
– Team ham.
Kelly O’Grady: The good news is when meats compete, there’s no shortage of ways to fill your plate. And if you can’t decide, there’s always dessert.
– Sweet-potato pies, apple pies, coconut cake, homemade biscuits.
– OK, that sounds like the main event, not the ham and the turkey. It’s everything else.
– That’s it.
Kelly O’Grady, CBS News, team ham.
