Ham

Name: Ham, as a cut of the pig — the hind leg of a pig, cured or fresh, bone-in or boneless, cooked or raw, with a pink, salty and sweet flavour. Fresh “green” ham is uncured. A page under Processed Meat covers cured and deli ham.

Description

Ham comes from the hind leg of the pig, and has been made since ancient times by salting and drying the meat, as a way to preserve it for winter. Different regions developed distinctive types: Spanish jamón, Italian prosciutto, English York ham, American Virginia and Smithfield ham, and German Black Forest ham.

A fresh ham is simply the raw leg, roasted like other pork, while a cured ham is salted, sometimes smoked, then either cooked or air-dried for months. A “city ham” in the United States is wet-cured, and usually fully cooked, while a country ham is dry-cured and aged.

Main nutrition value

Pork is a good source of high-quality protein, thiamin (vitamin B1), selenium, zinc, vitamin B6 and B12, and its fat content varies widely by cut, from very lean fillet to fatty belly. Cured ham is high in salt, and the amount of fat depends on whether the fat is trimmed.

How best to be consumed

Ham is roasted or baked, glazed, or sliced and served cold.

1. Roast a fresh ham at 160°C until the centre reaches at least 63°C, and rest.
2. Heat a fully cooked ham gently to 60 to 70°C, brushing with a glaze of mustard, honey or fruit, for the last half-hour.
3. Soak a country or dry-cured ham for hours, and simmer before baking, to reduce the salt.
4. Slice thinly for sandwiches, salads, pasta and omelettes.
5. Store leftovers cold, and use within 3 to 5 days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Fresh ham is a pork roast, but cured ham is a processed meat, to be eaten occasionally.

1. Higher risk of bowel cancer and other conditions with regular intake of processed meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as carcinogenic to humans, because of nitrites, salt and smoking, so keep it occasional. This applies to cured ham.
2. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products.
3. Nitrites and nitrates used in curing, which can form cancer-linked nitrosamines when cooked at high heat, so avoid charring cured meats.
4. Parasites such as Trichinella and tapeworm, and hepatitis E virus, from undercooked pork, so cook pork thoroughly, to at least 63°C with a rest. This applies to fresh or undercooked ham.
5. Listeria infection from cold cured or sliced meats and pâté, a particular risk in pregnancy, older age and weak immunity, so these groups should avoid them or heat them until steaming hot.

GroupsPorkProcessed MeatMammals (red meat)High proteinHigh saturated fatHigh sodiumRich in vitamin CCured or salted

Related foodsBaconPork LegPork ShoulderPork Mince / Ground PorkPork RibsCorned Beef

Wikipedia — Ham, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham