Hams, Types of Ham, Cooking Times for Ham
Hams: They can be fresh, cook-before-eating, fully-cooked, picnic and
country types. There are so many kinds, and their storage times and cooking
times
can be quite confusing. This background information serves to carve up the
facts and make them easier to understand.
Definition
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. The usual color for cured ham
is deep rose or pink; 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) range from pink to mahogany color.
Hams are either ready-to-eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto
and fully cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh
hams
and hams that are only trichina treated must be cooked by the consumer
before eating; these hams will bear the safe handling label.
Curing Solutions
Curing is the addition of salt, sodium nitrate (or saltpeter), nitrites and
sometimes sugars, seasonings, phosphates and ascorbates to pork for
preservation,
color development and flavor enhancement.
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.
The two most-used methods of adding solutions to pork are: injection into
muscle by needle; and tumbling or massaging into muscle to produce a more
tender
product.
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. In 1992, FSIS approved a trichina treatment method
that permits substituting up to half of the sodium chloride with potassium
chloride to result in lower sodium levels. 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. Country hams may not be
injected
with curing solutions or placed in curing solutions but they may be smoked.
Wet Curing or Brine Cure
Brine curing is the most popular way of producing hams. It is a wet cure
whereby fresh meat is injected with a curing solution before cooking.
Brining ingredients
can be salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium erythorbate,
sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, water and flavorings. Smoke flavoring
(liquid
smoke) may also be injected with brine solution. Cooking may occur during
this process.
Smoking & Smoke Flavoring
After curing, some hams are smoked. Smoking is a process by which ham is
hung in a smokehouse and allowed to absorb smoke from smoldering fires. This
gives
added flavor and color to meat and slows the development of rancidity.
Foodborne Organisms
These organisms are associated with ham:
Trichinella spiralis (trichina) - worms sometimes present in hogs. 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 may or may not destroy S.
aureus, but the high salt content on the exterior inhibits these bacteria.
When
the ham is sliced, the moister interior will permit staphylococcal
multiplication; thus sliced dry-cured hams must be refrigerated.
Mold - can often be found on country cured ham. We believe most of these are
harmless but some molds can produce mycotoxins. Molds grow on hams during
the
long curing and drying process because the high salt and low temperatures do
not inhibit these robust organisms. DO NOT DISCARD the ham. Wash it with hot
water and scrub off the mold with a stiff vegetable brush.
Quantity to Buy
When buying a ham, estimate the size needed according to the number of
servings the type of ham should yield:
1/4 - 1/3 lb. per serving of boneless ham
1/3 - 1/2 lb. of meat per serving of ham with little bone
3/4 - 1 lb. of meat per serving of ham with large bone.
Cooking or Reheating Hams
Both vacuum-packaged fully cooked and canned hams can be eaten cold just as
they come from their packaging. However, if you want to reheat these 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.
Cook-before-eating hams must reach 160°F to be safely cooked before serving.
Cook in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Hams can also be safely cooked in
a microwave oven, other countertop appliances and on the stove top. Consult
a cookbook for specific methods and timing.
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. Follow the manufacturer's cooking instructions.
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
Table with 3 columns and 20 rows
Type of Ham
Refrigerate
Freeze
Fresh (uncured) Ham, uncooked
3 to 5 days
6 mos
Fresh (uncured) Ham, cooked
3 to 4 days
3 to 4 mos
Cured Ham, cook-before-eating; uncooked
5 to 7 days OR Use-by date*
3 to 4 mos
Cured Ham, cook-before-eating; after consumer cooks it
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 mos
Fully Cooked Ham, vacuum sealed at plant, undated; unopened
2 weeks
1 to 2 mos
Fully Cooked Ham, vacuum sealed at plant, dated; unopened
Use by date*
1 to 2 mos
Fully Cooked Ham, vacuum sealed at plant, undated or dated; opened
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 mos
Fully Cooked Ham, whole, store wrapped
7 days
1 to 2 mos
Fully Cooked Ham, half, store wrapped
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 mos
Fully Cooked Ham, slices, store wrapped
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 mos
**Country Ham, uncooked, cut
2 to 3 mos
1 month
Country Ham, cooked
7 days
1 month
Canned Ham, labeled "Keep Refrigerated," unopened
6 to 9 mos
Do not freeze
Canned Ham, labeled "Keep Refrigerated," opened
7 days
1 to 2 mos
***Canned Ham, shelf stable, opened
3 to 4 days
1 to 2 mos
Lunch Meat Ham, sealed at plant, unopened
2 weeks OR Use-by date*
1 to 2 mos
Lunch Meat Ham, sealed at plant, after opening
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 mos
Lunch Meat Ham, sliced in store
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 mos
Proscuitto, Parma or Serrano Ham, dry Italian or Spanish type, cut
2 to 3 mos
1 month
table end
*Company stands by its "Use-by" date.
** 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.
*** An unopened Shelf Stable Canned Ham may be stored at room temperature
for 2 years.
Timetable For Cooking Ham
NOTE: 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.
NOTE: Freezer storage is for quality only. Frozen hams remain safe
indefinitely.
Source: USDA
"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
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
Access the Recipes And More list archives at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/
Visit the group home page at:
http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
