Rural people traditionally prepared ham and smoked meats in late fall
when the weather turned cold. The word ham means pork which comes from
the hind leg of a hog. Ham made from the front leg of a hog will be
labeled “pork shoulder picnic.” Turkey ham must be made from the thigh
meat of turkey.
Hams may be fresh, cured, or cured-and-smoked. Cured ham is deep rose
or pink color; fresh ham (which is not cured) has the pale pink or beige
color of a fresh pork roast; country hams and prosciutto (which are dry
cured) has a pink to mahogany color. Hams are either ready-to-eat or
not.
Curing. Curing is the addition of salt, sodium nitrate (or saltpeter),
nitrites and sometimes sugars, seasonings, phosphates and ascorbates to
pork for preservation, color, and flavor. Nitrate and nitrites
contribute to the characteristic cured flavor and reddish-pink color of
cured pork. Nitrite and salt inhibit the outgrowth of Clostridium
botulinum, a deadly microorganism which can occur in foods.
Use extreme caution when adding nitrate or nitrite to meat, since too
much of either of these ingredients can be toxic to humans. For safety,
use a commercial premixed cure. This reduces the possibility of serious
error in handling pure nitrate or nitrite. Several premixes are
available. Many local grocery stores stock Morton® Tender Quick® Product
and other brands of premix cure. Use this premix as the salt in the
recipe and it will supply the needed amount of nitrite simply and
safely.
Dry curing. In dry curing, the process used to make country hams and
prosciutto, fresh meat is rubbed with a dry-cure mixture of salt and
other ingredients. Dry curing produces a salty product.
Since dry curing draws out moisture, it reduces ham weight by at least
18% — usually 20 to 25%; this results in a more concentrated ham flavor.
Dry-cured hams may be aged from a few weeks to more than a year. Six
months is the traditional process but may be shortened according to
aging temperature.
These uncooked hams are safe stored at room temperature because they
contain so little water, bacteria can’t multiply in them.
Brining. Brine curing is the most popular way of producing hams. The
two most-used methods of adding curing solutions to pork are: injection
into muscle by needle; and tumbling or massaging into muscle to produce
a more tender product. Cooking may occur during this process.
Safety concerns.
Certain organisms are associated with ham:
-
Trichinella spiralis
(trichina). All hams are specifically processed to USDA guidelines
to kill trichinae.
-
Staphylococcus
aureus (staph) is destroyed by cooking and processing but can be
re-introduced via mishandling; the bacteria can then produce a toxin
which is not destroyed by further cooking. Dry curing inhibits these
bacteria on the exterior of the ham. However, sliced dry-cured
hams must be refrigerated.
-
Mold can often be
found on country cured ham. Most are harmless but some molds can
produce toxins. Do not discard the country cured ham. Wash it
with hot water and scrub off the mold with a stiff vegetable brush.
(Mold or a sour smell on other types of ham indicates spoilage.
Discard.)
Cooking or reheating
hams. To reheat fully cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325°F
and heat to an internal temperature of 140°F as measured with a meat
thermometer.
For fully cooked ham that has been repackaged in any other location
outside the plant or for leftover fully cooked ham, heat to 165°F.
Country hams can be soaked 4 to 12 hours or longer in the refrigerator
to reduce the salt content before cooking. Then they can be cooked by
boiling or baking.
Cook-before-eating hams must reach 160°F to be safely cooked before
serving.
Ham storage.
Fresh (uncured) ham. If uncooked, store 3 to 5 days in the
refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer at 0o F. Once cooked,
store 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Cured ham, cook-before-eating; uncooked. Store 5-7 days in the
refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer. Once cooked, store 3-5
days in the refrigerator, or 1to 2 months in the freezer.
Fully cooked ham, vacuum sealed at plant, dated; If unopened,
store in refrigerator and use before “use by date”. Once opened, keeps
in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Freeze up to 1 to 2 months.
Fully cooked ham, whole, store wrapped. Store in the
refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months. (Half or
slices will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, or in the freezer
for 1 to 2 months.)
Country ham, uncooked, cut. A whole, uncut country ham can be
stored safely at room temperature for up to 1 year. After one year the
ham is safe but the quality may suffer. Once cooked, store in the
refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
Canned ham, labeled “keep refrigerated” unopened. Store in the
refrigerator for up to 6 to 9 months. Do not freeze. Once opened,
store in refrigerator for up to 7 days. The ham is not sterilized so
spoilage bacteria may grow eventually.
Shelf stable canned ham. Generally not over 3 pounds in size.
Store at room temperature up to 2 years. Once opened, keeps in the
refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Storing canned ham at very warm
temperatures, above 122°F (50°C) may cause certain harmless bacteria to
multiply and swell and sour the product.
Ham sliced as lunch meat. Unopened sealed packages from plant,
store up to 2 weeks in refrigerator. Opened ham slices and deli ham
wrapped at store, store 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator or 1 to 2 months
in the freezer.
Source: Focus on Ham. USDA. Food Safety and
Inspection Service. Fact Sheet. February 2003
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Ham/index.asp
| Time Table for Cooking Ham Set oven temperature to 325°F.
Both cook-before-eating cured and fresh hams should be cooked to
160°F. Reheat fully cooked
ham to 140°F. |
| Smoked ham, cook before eating |
| Cut |
Lbs. |
Minutes per lbs. |
| whole, bone in |
10 - 14 |
18 - 20 |
| half, bone in |
5 - 7 |
22 - 25 |
Arm Picnic
shoulder,
boneless |
5 - 8 |
30 - 35 |
| whole, bone in |
10 - 14 |
15 - 18 |
| half, bone in |
5 - 7 |
18 - 24 |
| vacuum packed boneless |
6 - 12 |
10 - 15 |
Country Ham
(soak 4-12 hrs in refrigerator, then boil,
covered with water. Drain glaze and brown
at 400° |
| whole |
10 - 16 |
20 - 25 |
| half |
5 - 8 |
20 - 25 |
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