Ham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the preserved uncooked leg of pork. For the cooked leg of
pork, see Gammon (meat). For other uses, see Ham (disambiguation).
Typical slice of ham
Baked whole ham
Ham is pork [1] that has been preserved, either cured by brining or salting, smo
ked, or some combination of wet or dry curing and smoking. It was traditionally
made only from the hind leg of a pig, and referred to that specific cut of pork.
[2] Ham is made around the world, including a number of highly coveted regional
specialties, such as Westphalian ham and Jamn serrano. Technically a processed me
at, "ham" may refer to a product which has been through mechanical re-forming.
The precise nature of meat termed "ham" is controlled in a number of areas, ofte
n by statute, including the United States and European Union. In addition,numero
us ham products have specific geographical naming protection, such as Prosciutto
di Parma and Prosciutto Toscano PDO in Europe, and Smithfield ham in the US.
Contents [hide]
1 Definition
1.1 Labeling
2 Preservation methods
2.1 Salting
2.2 Brining
2.3 Smoking
3 Protected designations
4 Uses
5 Health effects
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Definition[edit]
The preserving of pork leg as ham has a long history, with Cato the Elder writin
g about the "salting of hams" in his De Agri Cultura tome around 160 BC.[3]
There are claims that the Chinese were the first people to mention the productio
n of cured ham,[4] whilst Larousse Gastronomique claims an origin from Gaul,[5]
but it was certainly well established by the Roman period, including an import t
rade from Gaul mentioned by Marcus Terentius Varro in his writings.[4]
The modern word "ham" is derived from the Old
low or bend of the knee, from a Germanic base
to refer to the cut of pork derived from the
century.[6] Left uncured, the cut is known as

English ham or hom meaning the hol

where it meant "crooked". It began
hind leg of a pig around the 15th
a "fresh ham".

The vast majority of what is known as "ham" today is preserved, either cured by
brining or salting, smoked, or some combination of wet or dry curing and smoking
.
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 ag
ent(s), such as salt, but it is still recognised as a food in its own right.[7]
Labeling[edit]
In many countries the term is now protected by statute, with a specific definiti
on. For instance, in the United States, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) sa
ys that "the word 'ham', without any prefix indicating the species of animal fro
m which derived, shall be used in labeling only in connection with the hind legs

of swine".[8]
In addition to the main categories, some processing choices can affect legal lab
eling. For instance, in the United States, a "smoked" ham must have been smoked
by hanging over burning wood chips in a smokehouse or an atomized spray of liqui
d smoke such that the product appearance is equivalent;[citation needed] a "hick
ory-smoked" ham must have been smoked using only hickory. However, injecting "sm
oke flavor" is not legal grounds for claiming the ham was "smoked"; these are la
beled "smoke flavor added". Hams can only be labelled "honey-cured" if honey was
at least 50% of the sweetener used, is at least 3% of the formula, and has a di
scernible effect on flavor. So-called "lean" and "extra lean" hams must adhere t
o maximum levels of fat and cholesterol per 100 grams of product.
Ham re-formed from smaller pieces in to a larger block also has to be labelled i
n many jurisdictions.
Preservation methods[edit]
The chief methods of preserving ham are salting, brining, and smoking:
Salting[edit]
Salting is a traditional method of dry curing hams. Salt alone is the oldest for
m, today comparatively rare, as with San Daniele or Parma hams.[9] The norm is a
dry rub of salt and seasonings, often including sugar.
Salting a ham begins with cleaning the raw meat, covering it in salt (for about
one month for Parma ham) while it is gradually pressed draining all the blood. I
n Tuscan Ham (Prosciutto Toscano PDO) different spices and herbs (from garlic to
black pepper, from juniper to laurel) are added to salt during this step. The h
ams are then washed and hung in a dark, temperature-regulated place until dry. I
t is then hung to air for another period of time.
Sea salt being added to raw pork leg as part of a dry cure process
The duration of the curing process varies by the type of ham, with Serrano ham c
uring in 912 months, Parma hams taking more than 12 months, and Iberian ham takin
g up to 2 years to reach the desired flavour characteristics.[10] Some dry cured
hams, such as the Jinhua ham, take approximately 8 to 10 months to complete.[11
]
Most modern dry cure hams also use nitrites (either sodium or potassium), which
are added along with the salt, although following a similar methodology. The nit
rites deliver a distinctive pink or red tinge to the meat, as well as imparting
flavour. The amount and mixture of salt and nitrites used has an effect on the s
hrinkage of the meat.[12]
Sodium nitrite is used because it prevents bacterial growth and, in a reaction w
ith the meat's myoglobin, gives the product a desirable dark red color. Because
of the toxicity of nitrite (the lethal dose of nitrite for humans is about 22 mg
per kg body weight), some areas specify a maximum allowable content of nitrite
in the final product. Under certain conditions, especially during cooking, nitri
tes in meat can react with degradation products of amino acids, forming nitrosam
ines, which are known carcinogens.[13]
The dry curing of ham involves a number of enzymatic reactions. The enzymes invo
lved are proteinases (cathepsins B, D, H & L, and calpains) and exopeptidases (p
eptidase and aminopeptidase).[14] These enzymes cause proteolysis of muscle tiss
ue, which creates large numbers of small peptides and free amino acids, while th
e adipose tissue undergoes lipolysis to create free fatty acids.[14] Salt and ph
osphates act as strong inhibitors of proteolytic activity.[15]

Animal factors influencing enzymatic activity include age, weight, and breed.[16
] During the process itself, conditions such as temperature, duration, water con
tent, redox potential, and salt content all have an effect.[14]
The salt content in dry-cured ham varies throughout a piece of meat, with gradie
nts determinable through sampling and testing or non-invasively through CT scann
ing.[17]
Brining[edit]
Main article: brining
Brining is a form of wet curing where meat is soaked in or injected with a solut
ion of salt and other ingredients such as sugar and flavorings. Traditionally, m
eat was submerged in a brine mixture for between 314 days, depending on cut, brin
e strength, and degree of cure desired.[9]
The mechanical process uses needles to inject the brine solution directly into t
he meat. This can be quicker, increase the weight of the finished product by mor
e than immersion curing, and ensure a more even distribution of brine through th
e meat.[18]
As with dry curing, modern commercial brining typically contains chemical preser
vatives such as sodium nitrite, and occasionally sodium nitrate.
Smoking[edit]
See also: Smoking (cooking)
Ham is preserved by smoking by exposing it to wood smoke generated from sawdust,
wood chips, or solid lengths of wood. Historically done in a smokehouse, the mo
dern process has been mechanized and typically is done in specialized cabinets i
n a processing plant.
The main flavor compounds of smoked ham are guaiacol, and its 4-, 5-, and 6-meth
yl derivatives as well as 2,6-dimethylphenol. These compounds are produced by th
ermal breakdown (i.e., combustion) of lignin, a major constituent of wood used i
n the smokehouse.[19]
Protected designations[edit]
Hams aging in an atmospherically controlled storage room in Mazerolles, Barn, Pyrne
s-Atlantiques
Spanish Jamn de Guijuelo, a protected designation ham
There are a wide number of hams worldwide which have some level of protection of
their unique characteristics, usually relating to their method of preservation
and/or location of production or processing. Dependent on jurisdiction, rules ma
y prevent any other product being sold with the particular appellation, such as
through the European protected geographical indication.
Belgium
Jambon d'Ardenne Wallonia, Belgium
Bulgaria
Elenski but Elena
China
Jinhua ham Jinhua
Rugao ham - Rugao
Xuanwei ham - Xuanwei
Czechoslovakia
Prak unka ("Prague Ham") - Prague
Prager Schinken [German]
Prosciutto di Praga [Italian]
Croatia

Prut
France
Bayonne ham (Jambon de Bayonne) Bayonne
Jambon de Paris Paris
Jambon d'Aoste - Aosta region
Jambon de Savoie - Savoy
Jambon d'Auvergne - Auvergne region
Jambon d'Ardche - Ardche region
Germany
Ammerlnder Schinken Ammerland
Schwarzwlder Schinken Black Forest
Westflischer Schinken Westphalia
Italy
Prosciutto Toscano - Tuscany
Prosciutto di Parma Parma
San Daniele
Speck Alto Adige South Tyrol
Valle dAoste Jambon de Bosses Saint-Rhmy-en-Bosses, Aosta Valley
Luxembourg
isleker ham Oesling region
Montenegro
Njeguka pruta Njegui, Montenegro
Portugal
fiambre
presunto (cured pork)
Slovenia
Kraki prut (prosciutto from the Kras region)[20]
Spain
jamn serrano (Serrano ham)[21]
jamn ibrico Iberia[22]
Lacn Gallego Galicia
Los Pedroches Crdoba
Jamn de Huelva (Jabugo) Huelva, Andalusia
Jamn de Guijuelo
Dehesa de Extremadur Cceres and Badajoz
United Kingdom
Wiltshire cure ham[23]
York ham York[24][25]
United States
Smithfield ham Smithfield, Virginia
Uses[edit]
A pizza with buffalo mozzarella and cooked ham
Ham is typically served as an entre, often as a holiday meal. It is also sliced
thin as a sandwich filling, as in the ham sandwich and the toasted Monte Cristo.
It may be used as a stuffing for a breaded cutlet such as chicken cordon bleu,
or cubed and served in egg dishes such as omelettes and quiche.
Health effects[edit]
As a processed meat, there has been concern
mption.[26] A meta-analysis study has shown
between processed meat consumption and the
ncrease in consumption of 50 grams (1.8 oz)
risk.[27]

over the health effects of ham consu

a statistically relevant correlation
risk of pancreatic cancer, with an i
per day leading to a 19% increase in

This supported earlier studies, including the 2007 study Food, Nutrition, Physic
al Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, by the World Can
cer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research,[28] which revi
ewed more than 7,000 studies published worldwide.[29] Among the recommendations
was that, except for very rare occasions, people should avoid eating ham or othe

r processed meats cured, smoked, salted or chemically preserved meat products su

ch as bacon, hot dogs, sausage,[30] salami,[31] and pastrami. The report states
that once an individual reaches the 510 grams (18 oz) weekly limit for red meat,
every 48 grams (1.7 oz) of processed meat consumed a day increases cancer risk
by 21%.[29]
A European cohort study also positively correlated processed meat consumption wi
th higher all-cause mortality, with an estimation that 3.3% of the deaths amongs
t participants could have been prevented by consuming less than 20 grams (0.71 o
z) of processed meat per day.[clarify][32]