Ham

Ham is the meat taken from the hind leg of a hog. Ham is an important food product. It is an excellent source of protein. It is also high in thiamine, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.

People serve ham in a wide variety of ways, including as a main dish, mixed into salads, on sandwiches, and in spreads. The ways to prepare ham include broiling, roasting, and frying. Some ham comes fully cooked and can be sliced and eaten without reheating.

Kinds of ham.

Ham is sold as a whole leg or cut into smaller portions. The chief types of cuts are called rump cuts, shank cuts, and center cuts. The names refer to the part of the leg from which a cut is taken. Rump cuts come from the upper part of the leg. Shank cuts come from the lower part of the leg. Center cuts are carved from the center of the leg.

Ham is sold also in unprocessed and processed forms. The processed form is the kind most commonly referred to as ham. Fresh ham, usually called pork leg, is an unprocessed, lean meat that has a delicious pork flavor when cooked. It spoils quickly and must be cooked or stored in a freezer soon after purchase.

Ham producers process ham by curing and smoking it. Ham prepared using either or both of these methods may be stored for several weeks or months without spoiling. Cured and smoked ham generally has a salty or sweet flavor and a smoky aroma.

Curing and smoking.

Ham is cured using such ingredients as salt, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, sodium phosphate, and sugar. Producers usually dissolve these ingredients in water to form a curing brine. They pump some of the brine into the ham. They then soak the ham in the remaining brine for three to seven days. Ham cured in this manner includes canned ham and Scotch-style ham. Producers cure some types of ham by rubbing them on the outside with dry curing ingredients. Such ham includes dry-cured ham, country ham, and country-style ham. These kinds of ham do not require refrigeration for storage, but must be soaked in water before they can be cooked and eaten.

Most cured ham is also smoked. Producers begin the smoking process by placing the ham in a large, walk-in oven called a smokehouse for cooking. They then create smoke by burning sawdust in a separate stove called a smoke generator. While the ham is cooking, fans blow the smoke from the smoke generator into the smokehouse. The smoke adds flavor to the ham. It also turns the ham a golden brown on the outside. Cooking causes chemical reactions to occur in the curing ingredients. These reactions make the meat turn pink.