HAM GLOSSARY
BUTT END, HALF OR PORTION - the upper, meatier part of the whole leg; a butt
portion has had some center slices removed for separate sale as ham steaks
or center cut ham slices. The half includes this meat.
CANNED HAM -- Canned hams come in two forms:
Shelf stable - store on shelf up to 2 years at room temperature. Generally
not over 3 pounds in size. Processed to kill all spoilage bacteria and
pathogenic
organisms such as Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and Trichinella
spiralis. The product is free of microorganisms capable of growing at
ordinary room
temperature. However, high temperature storage -- above 122°F (50°C) -- may
result in harmless thermophylic bacteria multiplying and swelling or souring
the product.
Refrigerated - may be stored in refrigerator up to 6 to 9 months. Its weight
can be up to 8% more than original uncured weight due to uptake of water
during
curing. It need not be labeled "Added water" except for "In Natural Juices."
Net Weight is the weight of the actual ham excluding the container.
Processed
at a time/temperature sufficient to kill infectious organisms (including
Trichinae) but the ham is not sterilized so spoilage bacteria may grow
eventually.
CAPACOLLA - Boneless pork shoulder butts which are dry cured; not
necessarily cooked.
HAM CAPACOLLA is made with ham instead of pork shoulder butts.
COOK BEFORE EATING - needs further cooking. Is not completely cooked in the
plant and should be cooked to 160°F.
COTTAGE HAM - a ham made from the shoulder butt end.
COUNTRY HAM - uncooked, cured, dried, smoked-or-unsmoked meat products made
from a single piece of meat from the hind leg of a hog or from a single
piece
of meat from a pork shoulder. Smithfield and country hams are not fully
cooked but are dry cured to be safe stored at room temperature. They should
be
cooked before eating according to manufacturer's instructions. A ham labeled
"Smithfield Ham" must be processed in the city of Smithfield, Virginia.
FRESH HAM - the uncured leg of pork. Since the meat is not cured or smoked,
it has the flavor of a fresh pork loin roast or pork chops. Its raw color is
pinkish red and after cooking, greyish white.
FULLY COOKED - needs no further cooking. Fully cooked in plant. Can be eaten
directly as it comes from its packaging or reheated.
GELATIN - about one-fourth ounce of dry gelatin is often added before a
canned ham is sealed to cushion the ham during shipment. During processing,
natural
juices cook out of the ham and combine with the gelatin. When the ham cools,
a jell forms. Gelatin is included in the net weight statement on the label.
HAM - the product is at least 20.5% protein in lean portion and contains no
added water.
HAM with NATURAL JUICES - the product is at least 18.5% protein. Can weigh
8% more than uncured weight. Example: canned hams.
HAM -- WATER ADDED - the product is at least 17.0% protein with 10% added
solution; it can weigh 8% more after curing than uncured.
HAM AND WATER PRODUCTS - Product may contain any amount of water but label
must indicate percent of "added ingredients." For example, "X % of weight is
added ingredients" for any canned ham with less than 17.0% protein.
HAM STEAK - another name for center cut ham slices.
HICKORY-SMOKED HAM - a cured ham which has been smoked by hanging over
burning hickory wood chips in a smokehouse. May not be labeled "hickory
smoked" unless
hickory wood has been used.
HONEY-CURED - may be shown on the labeling of a cured product if honey is
the only sweetening ingredient or is at least half the sweetening
ingredients
used, and if the honey is used in an amount sufficient to flavor and/or
affect the appearance of the finished product.
"LEAN" HAM - The term "lean" may be used on a ham's label provided the
product contains less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat,
and
less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per 100 grams and Reference Amount
Customarily Consumed (RACC).
"EXTRA LEAN" HAM - A ham labeled "extra lean" must contain less than 5 grams
fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat and the same cholesterol as allowed per
the amount of "lean" ham.
PICNIC, PORK SHOULDER PICNIC - a front shoulder cut of pork which has been
cured in the same manner as ham.
PROSCIUTTO HAM - An Italian-style dry cured raw ham; not smoked; often
coated with pepper. Proscuitti can be eaten raw because of the way they are
processed.
PARMA HAM is prosciutto from the Parma locale in Italy. These hams tend to
be larger than the U.S. produced product, as Italian hogs are larger at
slaughter.
SECTIONED AND FORMED or CHUNKED AND FORMED - a boneless ham that is made
from different cuts, tumbled or massaged and reassembled into a casing or
mold
and fully cooked. During this process it is usually thoroughly defatted.
SHANK END, HALF OR PORTION - the lower, slightly pointed part of the leg. A
"portion" has the center slices removed for separate sale as "ham steaks" or
center cut ham slices. The half includes this meat.
SKINLESS, SHANKLESS - A ham with all of the skin and the shank removed. The
leg bone and aitch (hip) bone remain.
SUGAR CURED - a term that may appear on ham labels if cane or beet sugar is
at least half the sweetening ingredients used and if the sugar is used in an
amount sufficient to flavor and/or affect the appearance of the finished
product. Most hams contain sugar in the curing mixture.
WESTPHALIAN HAM - A German-style dry cured ham that is similar to
Prosciutto; smoked, sometimes with juniper berries. Also called
Westfalischer Schinken
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything."
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.
-Sylvia
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