ham

ham, the rear leg of a hog prepared as food, either fresh or preserved through a curing process that involves salting, smoking, or drying. The two hams constitute about 18–20 percent of the weight of a pork carcass. In the United States, shoulder portions of pork carcasses are frequently processed and marketed as shoulder hams, picnic hams, Callies, and Californias, but such products are inferior to true ham. Most ground ham spreads, sold under a variety of trade names, are processed from pork shoulders and ham trimmings.

A compact source of high-grade animal protein, ham compares favourably with good beef in this respect and has available energy ranging from 1,200 to 2,600 calories per pound, depending on fatness. It is an outstanding source of thiamine (vitamin B₁), iron, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, and calcium. Ham was one of the most ancient meats of civilized peoples and was common throughout Europe and Asia except where forbidden by religious edict. Introduced to the American continents by the first European settlers, it became a favoured food on the farms of North America, where home curing of hams became an elaborate tradition of the late fall and winter months. Losses through putrefaction were high, however, and product quality varied greatly.

Curing ham is essentially a process of checking the growth of spoilage bacteria by the application of curing agents; and, until such agents are sufficiently concentrated to protect the centre of the ham, the meat must be kept at a low temperature. In addition to preserving the meat, curing gives it additional flavour, depending upon the ingredients in the cure, the length of time they are applied, and other factors. Most hams receive a mild cure, giving a mild flavour, and require continuous refrigeration; country hams, not requiring refrigeration after processing, are produced on farms and in some plants having a specialty trade.

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Salt preserves the meat but in excessive quantities impairs the flavour and makes the lean muscles undesirably hard. These disadvantages can be offset by the addition of sugar to the curing mixture, which also improves the flavour and texture of the meat; the result is called a sugar-cured ham, which most consumers prefer to the plain salt-cured product. Sodium or potassium nitrite, which inhibits the growth of the botulism-causing bacterium Clostridium botulinum and fixes the colour of the meat, is also used in curing; these additives became the subject of controversy in the late 20th century when studies linked them to a possible carcinogen-forming process in laboratory animals. Honey may be used to give a distinctive flavour, with sugar or replacing it, and various condiments may be added for aroma and flavour.

Basic methods of curing are dry curing, in which the cure is rubbed into the meat by hand, and brine curing, in which the meat is soaked in a mixture of water and the curing agents. Brine curing requires about four days per pound of ham; dry curing is faster (two to three days per pound). Commercial curing is accelerated by injecting the pickle (curing mixture) into the ham by means of a pump fitted with a perforated needle. Many mild-flavoured retail hams are processed rapidly by being pumped arterially to 110–118 percent of their raw weight with a pickle containing dextrose and corn syrup. In conventional curing, alkaline phosphates commonly are used to increase moisture retention. Combination cures—e.g., pumping with pickle, followed by dry curing—also are used.

Heat processing is determined by the type of finished product desired. Fully cooked hams for retail sale are processed to an internal temperature of 155 °F (68 °C) and are therefore acceptable as food without further cooking. (A processing temperature of 137 °F [58 °C] is adequate to destroy Trichinella parasites.)

After curing, hams may be smoked, which gives the meat a rich mahogany colour, helps in preservation, and helps develop a mellow flavour (or they may be canned and heat processed). Green hickory wood and sawdust are considered desirable fuels, but there are many variations in materials and methods of smoking. Some hams are aged after smoking.

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Hams of various regions of North America and Europe are noted for their distinctive qualities resulting from unique combinations of hog-raising and meat-processing techniques. The renowned Kentucky hams of the United States, for example, are cut exclusively from Hampshire hogs that have been fattened on beans, wild acorns, and clover until the last few weeks before the slaughter, when their diet is restricted to grain. The curing process entails a month of dry-salting, a month of smoking over apple and hickory wood, and a 10- to 12-month period of maturation.

Virginia hams, prized for their sweetness, are cut from razorback hogs fed on peanuts and peaches. They are cured, then smoked over apple and hickory wood fires, and hung to age in the smokehouse. Perhaps the most widely known country hams of the United States are those of Smithfield, Virginia, which are processed from hogs fattened on acorns, nuts, and corn. The hams are cured in a dry mixture for 30–37 days, then spiced with black pepper, and cold smoked (at 70–90 °F [21–27 °C]) for another 10–15 days. Afterward the ham is aged and mellowed for a minimum of one year. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was a regular and celebrated customer of a noted Smithfield concern.

In the British Isles the York and Bradenham hams of England and the hams of Limerick, Ireland, are especially notable. The French jambon de Bayonne from the Lower Pyrenees and the home-cured Estremadura and mountain-smoked presunto of Portugal form the basis of an extensive traditional cookery in those countries. Cured ham, often elaborately dressed, is an essential element of the Christmas smorgasbord in Scandinavia. Several European hams, notably the salt-cured prosciutto di Parma of Italy, the delicately smoked Pražská šunka and szynka of the Czech Republic and Poland, respectively, and the robust Westphalian of Germany, are exported as delicacies around the world.