Ham is the cured leg of pork. Fresh ham is an uncured leg of pork. Fresh ham will bear the term “fresh” as part of the product name and is an indication that the product is not cured.
What Is Ham?
Ham, also known as fresh ham, is the hind leg of a hog. It can be simply roasted, bone in or out, like most other cuts of meat. But it can also be pre-cured and cooked in many different ways to make it a prepared ham. What kind of hog is used, what sort of curing or cooking process it undergoes, and what you do to it after that, will determine what winds up on the plate before you.
How to Cook Ham
A fresh ham can be cooked (usually slow roasted) just like any other cut of meat, assuming you have a large enough pan and oven to hold it. But ham can—and usually does—undergo an initial precooking or curing process, which significantly affects how it tastes. The primary ways of preparing a ham are curing, aging, and smoking.
Cured ham is made by injecting a fresh ham with a brine of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, sodium erythorbate, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, water and/or flavorings. The ham is then cooked to an internal temperature of 150 F. The combination of the chemical brine and the cooking kills bacteria and turns a fresh ham into a cured one. This is the type of ham you find in most supermarkets and delis, often referred to as baked ham.
Aged ham does not necessarily require a brine or smoke but usually does involve extensive salting and seasoning. The ham is hung in special well-ventilated rooms with precise temperature and humidity controls for one to five years. During this time a hard crust of mold develops, which prevents the meat from spoiling and helps it develop distinctive and appealing flavors throughout the ham. After the aging period is complete, the mold is completely scraped off, and the ham is well washed and dried before packing. Hams of this variety, such as American “country ham,” Italian prosciutto di Parma, or Spanish jamón serrano, are quite expensive and limited in availability.
Cold-smoked ham is made by smoking the ham at around 60 F (15 C), which can go on for days or even weeks. Because the temperature is so low, bacteria is controlled by chemicals in the smoke and the slow drying process. A cold-smoked ham requires salt curing (typically in a brine) to keep the bacteria under control throughout the curing process. When smoking a ham, the smoke usually comes from wood or wood chips, and the type of wood used also makes a notable difference. Mesquite and hickory, for example, are commonly used woods for smoking ham, as are woods from nut trees or fruit trees. The type of wood used contributes an additional subtle flavor component to the ham.
Many hams are prepared using a combination of these processes.
Cured and smoked hams are often finished by heating with a glaze or serving with a sauce, or other treatment. Salted ham that is aged for a year or more, however, is usually simply sliced thin and eaten with complementary accompaniments, such as melon, chunks of cheese, or toasted bread. Such a ham has already lost much of its moisture in the salting and aging process, and heating it would dry it out and compromise its complex flavor. 2:12
Easy Ham Recipe – How to Bake a Ham
FAQ
What is the main food substance in ham?
What are the ingredients in store bought ham?
What is the composition of ham?
How is pork turned into ham?
What are the flavor compounds of smoked ham?
The main flavor compounds of smoked ham are guaiacol, and its 4-, 5-, and 6-methyl derivatives as well as 2,6-dimethylphenol. These compounds are produced by combustion of lignin, a major constituent of wood used in the smokehouse.
Is ham gluten free?
Ham naturally by itself is gluten-free. Although, many companies made their ham with gluten-containing ingredients like broth, spices, and glazes. So, you must prefer brands that indicate they are gluten-free on the packaging.
How is Ham made?
Ham is produced by curing raw pork by salting, also known as dry curing, or brining, also known as wet curing. Additionally, smoking may be employed, and seasonings may be added. Sea salt being added to raw pork leg as part of a dry cure process
Is Ham a food?
Because of the preservation process, ham is a compound foodstuff or ingredient, being made up of the original meat, as well as the remnants of the preserving agent (s), such as salt, but it is still recognised as a food in its own right.