Which Animal Does Spiral Sliced Ham Come From

From huge vacation celebrations to everyday school lunches, ham is an iconic meat that can brand any repast better. Whether yous need to fill up out a sandwich or come up with a breathtaking main course for a special event, you can discover a type of ham to encounter all your culinary needs. However, shopping for the best ham can be overwhelming since yous'll run into many labels and descriptions that may have yous wishing y'all had a culinary dictionary handy.

If terms like "cured," "uncured," "smoked" and "shank" sound like a strange language to you lot, you've come up to the right place. This ultimate guide to the different types of ham and how to set them volition go over what ham is, the history of ham, uncured vs. cured ham, the different types of ham and how to cook them. Continue reading to discover out all the kinds of ham available to you and how to make them taste their best.

What Is Ham?

Ham is a blazon of pork that comes from the hind leg of a pig. Ham can exist preserved and prepared in many unlike ways. Like many other cuts of meat, ham can simply be roasted with the bone either in or out. Even so, ham tin can also exist pre-cured and cooked in a wide diversity of means to arrive a prepared ham.

Shop Our HamsUltimately, what kind of hog is used for the ham, how the meat has been cured and any other cooking processes it goes through determines what ends up on the plate in front of you. While the endless ways to cure, purchase and prepare ham tin can feel overwhelming, choosing a delicious ham is actually quite easy. Whether you prefer moisture curing or dry curing, smoked or not smoked, yous'll exist able to find the perfect ham for your taste buds one time you become more familiar with the types of ham available.

What Does Ham Gustation Like?

Graphic depicting the different types of ham

The exact taste of a piece of ham varies greatly depending on how it is prepared and served. Still, all types of ham take a few mutual characteristics. Because ham comes from the big, round muscles of a hog'due south hind leg, every type of ham has a meaty denseness and a fleshy texture. Whether smoked, oven-roasted or aged and sliced thinner than a slice of paper, your ham will have a sturdy meatiness to it.

In addition to its satisfying texture, all ham has a slight, underlying sweet to its gustatory modality. Although ham's flavor profile is overall savory and rich, ham always has a hint of sweetness no thing how it was prepared. Even smoked or salted hams have notes of sweetness. These sugary undertones make ham the perfect partner for numerous accent flavors, pairing particularly well with salt, smoke, brown sugar, maple, spicy mustard, cloves and even canned pineapple.

What Is The History of Ham?

The oldest surviving book of Latin prose from the first century BC includes instructions for preparing ham, so it's safe to say humankind, and especially Westerners, have enjoyed ham for a very long fourth dimension. The word "ham" comes from the Old English language "hom" or "ham," which ways the bend or hollow of the knee. Effectually the 15th century, this word started existence used to refer to the cut of pork from a hog'due south hind leg that we now know as ham.

According to historical records, People's republic of china was the first place to mention the production of cured ham, pregnant the Chinese likely invented the curing process. By the time of the Roman Empire, curing ham had go a well-established practice and cured ham was a popular, tasty merchandise detail. Cured ham from specific areas became particularly sought after because curing ham requires certain conditions.

When curing meat, the environment cannot be and so cold that the curing process can't occur or the ham freezes. Yet, it likewise cannot be so warm that the ham spoils. In the Old Earth, this need for the perfect curing conditions made geographic regions within Italy and Spain renowned for their delicious cured ham products.

Nowadays, thanks to modern technology, climate command and automated food product processes, cured ham is made all over the world. However, many regions of the world are nonetheless known for specializing in ham products. For example, Europe is regarded for its prosciutto di Parma and the United States is famous for its Smithfield ham.

Modernistic Uses of Ham

In the The states, ham is oft used in its sliced form to fill sandwiches and similar foods. Specifically, the ham and cheese sandwich is a classic lunchtime staple for many Americans. Other ham sandwiches include toasted sandwiches such as the Cubano, which uses 2 types of pork, melted Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard to create a tangy, tart meal.

Forth with stuffing sandwiches, ham is frequently found topping pizzas in the States, such as the Hawaiian-way pizza that features ham and pineapple. In other parts of the world, ham is a centerpiece in traditional dishes. Check out these famous ham dishes from all over the world:

Croque-monsieur: This delicious French recipe is a baked or fried sandwich filled with boiled ham and cheese. Although originally served in French confined and cafes as a quick snack, the croque-monsieur has become an international please. When served equally a Croque Madame, the ham and cheese sandwich gets topped with a fried egg.
Jambon-beurre: Another popular French sandwich, the jambon-beurre is made by slicing a baguette open, spreading butter on 1 or both sides and filling the baguette with slices of ham.
Budae-jjigae: This Korean stew includes ham, sausage, spam, kimchi, instant noodles, baked beans and gochujang, which is a carmine chili paste.
Denver omelet: A Denver omelet folds diced ham, greenish bell peppers and chopped onions into the traditional fluffy egg dish.
Denver sandwich: Similar to the Denver omelet, the Denver sandwich consists of ham, green bell peppers, onions and scrambled eggs tucked between 2 pieces of bread or toast. Sometimes, additional ingredients are included.
Jambon: Well-nigh delis in Ireland sell jambon, a square pastry filled with chunks of ham and cheese.
Ham and egg bun:This dish is a savory pastry from Hong Kong that is fabricated by putting ham and egg in a bun.
Francesinha: This Portuguese sandwich is a rich dish made by layering moisture-cured ham, Portuguese fume-cured pork, sausage and steak or some other roasted meat on bread, then covering information technology with melted cheese. The sandwich is unremarkably smothered in a hot spiced tomato and beer sauce as well.
Pan de jamon: Pan de jamon is a traditional Venezuelan Christmas bread that'southward filled with ham, dark-green olives, fried salary and raisins.
Ham cordon bleu:Cordon bleu refers to whatsoever meat being wrapped around cheese, and then getting breaded and either pan-fried or deep-fried. Ham cordon bleu oft involves stuffing the ham with mushrooms too as cheese.
Gammon: Gammon is a British pork leg cut that tin be whole or sliced and has been cured only needs some extra cooking. Once gammon has been cooked, it becomes a beautiful, savory centerpiece for holiday dinners throughout the United Kingdom.

Ham salad: Ham salad is like to craven salad or tuna salad in the sense that it mixes ham with chopped veggies, mayonnaise and some dressing to create a tasty salad.
Schnitz united nations knepp:This delicious Pennsylvania Dutch dish consists of ham aslope dried apples and dumplings.
Stuffed ham:This unproblematic recipe comes from southern Maryland and features a corned ham stuffed with seasoned greens.
Toast Hawaii: In this archetype Hawaiian meal, a piece of toast gets topped with ham, a piece of fresh pineapple, cheese and a maraschino ruby.

While the ham recipes listed above are each scrumptious in their own way, ham is most widely recognized as being the showstopping entree for a special occasion. Namely, ham is an extremely popular Christmas dinner dish. However, a big screw-sliced ham is an easy and impressive entree choice for any big gathering or celebration.

From Christmas and Easter to a wedding or graduation party, here are the top five reasons to serve ham at your next large party:

Ham is uncomplicated withal stunning:Serving ham at a gathering is an easy way to present your dinner guests with a picturesque entree without breaking a sweat. Cooking ham is a straightforward process that even a novice chef can pull off. If you purchase a spiral-sliced ham, you don't even have to worry almost carving the meat on your own.
Ham can feed a crowd:Ham is a peachy entree for big events because it is a sizable, filling type of meat that volition exit your guests feeling satisfied. Ownership a ham ensures that you lot'll have plenty of meat to become around without spending as much as you would for another, more expensive type of meat like prime rib.
Yous tin customize ham: Depending on how much time and effort you desire to put into making your ham, you tin dress it upwardly as much as you'd similar. If you want your ham to be on the sweet side, you can whip up a maple or fruit coat and acme it with pineapple rings. On the other paw, you can comprehend the saltier side of your ham past preparing a creamy mustard sauce to douse it in.
Ham'southward serving temperature is flexible: Many main entrees need to be served hot, which tin be challenging for a drop-in event where the food is out the entire time for guests who are coming and going. Serving ham solves this issue considering ham tin can be enjoyed both warm and at room temperature. As a bonus, when you serve ham, y'all don't take to worry nigh whether some people similar their meat more well done or rare as you would when serving other meats like roast beefiness.
Ham goes well with a wide range of side dishes:Dissimilar about meats, ham does not get smothered in gravy, making it compatible with annihilation from a unproblematic side salad or dinner roll to baked beans or potatoes au gratin. Ham'southward flavors will go well with whatever your specialty side dishes are, so you lot don't have to learn a new recipe. Putting freshly fabricated bread, rolls or biscuits and various cheeses and spreads out with ham is also a great style to encourage guests to create their own ham sandwich.

How Is Ham Made?

Hams are cutting from the rear leg of a pig. The exception to this is picnic ham, which is really not ham at all. These "hams" are cut from the front end leg. If a rear leg cut of meat were immediately cooked, information technology would simply taste similar any other pork roast. You can buy fresh hams from butchers, but in near cases, hams go through a curing process and a baking or smoking procedure, which helps to give them their signature gustatory modality and texture before beingness sold.

Uncured vs. Cured Ham

When you're shopping for ham, you accept the choice betwixt uncured and cured ham. Simply put, cured ham has gone through a curing process designed to preserve the meat without refrigeration. This procedure oft involves a variety of chemicals and additives. On the other hand, uncured meats have not been treated with preservatives and must rely on natural salts and flavorings to keep from going bad.

Both cured and uncured hams offer their fair share of benefits and drawbacks. Before making your ham conclusion, check out the following sections on what cured ham and uncured ham bring to the table.

What Is Cured Ham?

To empathise what uncured ham is, you lot get-go demand to know what cured ham is. Unless labeled otherwise, the ham you detect at your local grocery shop is most likely cured ham. Cured ham is a pop grocery shop and cafeteria counter item because any ham product labeled as cured, broiled or smoked is essentially pre-cooked and safe to consume.

When it comes to curing ham, manufacturers tin either follow a dry curing or wet curing process. Some traditional dry-cured hams use salt every bit the sole curative agent, although this is becoming less common. Well-nigh dry-cured hams incorporate various herbs and spices for added season. Dry curing starts with cleaning the raw ham, then covering it in common salt as it gets gradually pressed to bleed out all the blood.

After this stride, the spices and seasonings are added to the ham. Side by side, the ham is done and hung upward in a dark, temperature-regulated space to dry. Depending on the type of ham being dry-cured, the ham could exist hung up for months or fifty-fifty years while its flavors develop. Dry-cured hams tin also be anile for a rich, intense flavor.

One time the drying period is over, you tin can usually eat the dry-cured ham without being cooked. Dry-cured hams can last a long time because they've been tuckered of the moisture that would otherwise breed bacteria. This also means dry-cured hams can be kept at room temperature.

Many modernistic dry curing practices besides include using nitrates, along with the traditional salt, to preserve the meat. Nitrates tin can forbid bacteria growth while giving the ham an artful dark red color. However, many people are skeptical virtually the use of chemicals in meat and choose to shop for nitrate-complimentary ham.

When ham goes through the wet curing procedure they are brined, and so fully cooked either in an oven or a smoker. The brining process involves completely immersing the meat in a brine for several days, allowing the ham to soak upwards the brine's flavors and ingredients, such as sugar, spices and seasonings.

To speed up the wet curing procedure, some manufacturers inject the ham with the moisture curing solution. The mixture ordinarily includes water, salt, brown sugar, flavorings and chemicals like sodium nitrate, sodium phosphate and more than. This method speeds up the wet curing process, more evenly distributes the salt throughout the meat and increases the final weight of the ham by fifty-fifty more.

Typically, wet-cured ham then gets cooked either during the processing or after a brusk crumbling period. Smoking is especially common since it adds to the preservation and the flavor of the ham. Hams that are cured are fix to eat. When you buy sliced ham at the deli counter, you may eat information technology cold, directly from the package. However, a ham you intend to serve equally a dinner entree should be heated through, though information technology is pre-cooked.

What Is Uncured Ham?

Now that y'all're familiar with cured ham, it's finally time to demystify what uncured ham is. Besides known every bit fresh ham, uncured ham is the aforementioned cut of pork every bit cured ham, but the meat has not been treated with the same chemic alkali, fume or other flavorings used on cured ham. Considering uncured ham does non contain the nitrates many of united states of america accept come to expect, an uncured ham may have a slightly dissimilar, more natural coloring than what you are used to seeing in the grocery store.

Despite its name, uncured ham has really been cured — information technology has just undergone a unlike, more than natural curing process than regular cured ham. Strictly speaking, curing is simply a method of preserving meat by using the raw ingredients of salt, acid and sugar. These ingredients piece of work to remove excess h2o from the ham, preventing the meat from spoiling. Other natural produce like beets and celery are also frequently used to create a tasty curing solution that does not contain any bogus chemicals or flavorings.

Along with being free of synthetic ingredients and being better for your well-being, the natural curing process can produce more flavorful meat. If you're interested in trying uncured ham, await for labels that say "uncured" or "sodium nitrate-free." These labels bespeak the ham will not comprise artificial ingredients.

Although most uncured ham has been thoroughly cooked, you will notwithstanding desire to put your uncured ham in the oven until it reaches a safety temperature. When cooking your uncured ham, go on these guidelines in mind:

Place the uncured ham in a big roasting pan and insert a meat thermometer into it. If you are reheating an uncured ham, you tin place it in an oven bag.
Adding a liquid such equally water, stock or wine to the lesser of the roasting pan and covering the ham tightly with aluminum foil or a lid will help prevent the ham from drying out, resulting in more moist slices of meat.
Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Doing so will ensure the entire ham gets cooked thoroughly and its meat is prophylactic to consume.
Basting the ham with a coat as it heats will contribute even more to the meat's wet and overall flavors.
Check the meat thermometer to make sure the ham has reached an internal temperature of at to the lowest degree 145 degrees Fahrenheit before taking it out of the oven. This is the temperature at which you can exist confident the meat is safe to swallow.
Apply extra glaze to the ham as soon equally it comes out of the oven to help lock in its wet and add extra flavor.
Allow your uncured ham to rest for a bit before serving it, giving the flavors and juices a fleck more time to set up in. Tent aluminum foil loosely over the ham to continue it from getting cold. Letting the ham remainder as well gives it a chance to cool downward before you try to carve information technology.
Save time by purchasing a pre-glazed, spiral-cut ham. All you'll have to do is popular the ham in the oven for a bit, then serve!

Keep in heed that everything from the region where the pigs are farmed to the pigs' diet to the way the ham is preserved and flavored influences how this famously succulent cut of meat will gustation when you serve it up at your dinner table. Of form, the steps you take to gear up the ham volition also influence how moist and flavorful the ham is, simply it all starts with choosing a great quality ham.

Cheque out the following section to larn more about how different types of ham are cooked and how it affects their taste.

Types of Hams and How They Are Cooked

When y'all're ordering a ham or purchasing one at the supermarket, yous'll desire to know what labels hateful so you end up with a ham that fits your tastes. Allow'south await at some bones distinctions used to characterization different types of hams and talk near how each of these types should be cooked to maximize the unique flavor and texture.

City Ham vs. Land Ham

One set of terms you'll likely run into when ordering ham off of a restaurant carte or purchasing one to prepare at home is "city ham" and "land ham." The distinction betwixt city and state ham is how the meat is cured.

Hams that are wet-cured are referred to every bit city hams. Most hams y'all'll find at your local supermarket are urban center hams. In addition to being moisture-cured, they are commonly smoked. City hams are pre-cooked, meaning all you demand to exercise to prepare the ham at home is gradually oestrus it through in an oven set to a low temperature. You can also piece off a piece of the ham and eat information technology cold or fry it on a skillet.

Country hams are dry-cured and may also be smoked. Country hams are not as common as city hams in the U.S., especially in more urban areas. Country hams can be eaten but as they are since they are preserved. They have a very salty gustatory modality and a drier texture compared to city hams. In other words, they more closely resemble preserved meats rather than the juicy ham yous may picture for a holiday meal.

You tin heat these hams to serve them like you would a urban center ham, but you starting time need to soak them for at least iv hours and up to 24 hours to add together moisture and remove some of the salt. Y'all can then boil the ham to heat information technology, add your favorite coat and end it off in a hot oven.

Shank End vs. Butt Cease Ham

One important distinction yous'll see when shopping for hams is that some hams are shank-cease hams while others are butt-end hams. Y'all can purchase whole hams as well, but these cuts of meat can weigh xx pounds or more. If you lot're looking to serve a family rather than an army, you'll probable want to choose a partial ham. Since partial hams are cut from a whole ham, you end up with 2 main halves of the whole to consider.

One half is known equally the shank terminate. This is the end lower down the hog's leg. Shank end hams are what y'all likely picture when you think of a Christmas or Easter ham. They're pretty enough to be a centerpiece for a holiday dinner in add-on to beingness the main course. All the same, the meat on a shank end ham tends to be fattier and less tender than the meat you'll find in a butt stop ham. The butt end is lean and is easier to cleave since it simply has one bone.

Whether yous choose a whole ham, a shank end or a barrel stop, about people bake their ham in the oven or a roaster. The size of the ham will exist the biggest determining cistron in how long yous should cook it. With hams that come up fully cooked, you only want to oestrus it through without overcooking it. Partially cooked hams will demand to spend longer in the oven.

Some cooks choose to score the outside of the ham in a diamond pattern and glaze it to arrive more attractive and more flavorful. For a traditional look, try garnishing your ham with whole cloves or pineapple rings and maraschino cherries for your next ham dinner.

Boneless Ham vs. Os-In Ham

Some other distinction yous'll see is between boneless and bone-in hams. A os-in ham tends to be moist and have a nice, rich season that comes from the bone, but carving it tin can be a bit challenging since you have to piece of work around the bone. Once y'all finish carving a bone-in ham, the bone tin can be used to flavor soup beans, collard greens and other Southern classics.

A boneless ham is made to be easier to carve. Rather than working around a bone, y'all can make clean passes through the ham to create compatible slices. The downside is that boneless hams are candy, meaning you don't simply lose the bone — you lot lose some of the ham'due south rich flavor and texture. This is generally true of many boneless hams yous find at the supermarket, merely it should non exist the instance with quality boneless hams.

Some other choice to consider is a os-removed ham. With a os-removed ham, you lot notwithstanding have the ease of carving that you lot go with a boneless ham, but you'll see more of the delicious marbling throughout the ham that you would see with a os-in ham. This third choice is a great compromise for people who can't decide betwixt the traditional appeal of a bone-in ham and the convenience of a boneless ham.

Cooking times for bone-in, boneless and os-removed hams are similar since the goal is merely to warm the ham. On hams you buy at the grocery store, the label should include a guide for how long to heat the ham. Typically, you want the oven on a depression temperature and then the ham doesn't dry out — especially if you're fixing a boneless ham.

Ham Hocks

A word of ham should also give some attention to ham hocks, also called shanks or sometimes pork knuckles. Though ham hocks are not actually part of a ham, they are taken from the portion of the leg but below where the ham stops, at the end of the shank. Essentially, this is a sus scrofa'south calf area. Ham hocks contain a lot of collagen, which breaks down as information technology cooks to turn the meat tender and delicious.

Ham hocks brand an excellent base of operations for flavoring soups and broths. You lot can as well fix them as an entree through methods like braising, roasting or slow cooking. You can purchase ham hocks raw, cured or cured and smoked. As with cured or cured and smoked hams, these pre-cooked ham hocks are ready to go and only needed to exist heated, but raw ham hocks should be cooked through to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Canadian Salary

Canadian bacon may non have the word "ham" in the proper name, but it has more than in mutual with ham than information technology does bacon. The main departure between Canadian bacon and ham is that, rather than coming from the leg and rump, Canadian salary by and large comes from the loin — the area behind the squealer's shoulder. It'south interesting to annotation that, while Americans call this breakfast favorite Canadian salary, Canadians typically refer to information technology as "peameal bacon" or simply "back bacon."

Dissimilar a standard pork loin, Canadian bacon is wet-cured and smoked, which adds to its ham-similar taste and appearance. Like almost hams, Canadian bacon typically comes pre-cooked and prepare to eat. Since Canadian salary is traditionally enjoyed with breakfast, a great method for preparing information technology is to cut slices and fry them in a skillet on the stove.

Specialty Varieties of Ham

Beyond the bones distinctions we looked at above, there are many different types of hams hailing from places all over the world and with specific textures and season profiles that brand them unique. Nosotros're going to cover some of the near common specialty types of ham, including American hams and European hams.

Smithfield ham: Hams labeled equally Virginia hams are just country hams from Virginia, merely Smithfield, VA hams are a specific kind. Smithfield ham is a legally regulated term for a country ham made in Smithfield from pigs who had peanuts in their nutrition. These hams, which accept a deep cherry-red colour and salty flavor, go through a specific curing and processing regimen, which includes being aged for at least 6 to 12 months.
Hickory-smoked ham: The proper noun says it all with a hickory-smoked ham. This label ways the ham was cured then hung to smoke over hickory fries, which impart a distinctive flavor. While this is the traditional method, some hams labeled every bit hickory-smoked may go the season from a liquid smoke rather than the traditional smoking method.
Love-cured ham: A beloved-cured ham is cured using honey. The sweetening agent in the cure must consist primarily or entirely of dearest for this label to be accurate. The honey used must be at least grade C in terms of quality. The honey flavors the ham, making honey-cured hams just as sweetness as they sound.
Carbohydrate-cured ham: Another sweetness ham you'll find on the marketplace is a sugar-cured ham. These hams use cane or beet sugar or both to sweeten the ham. Cane and/or beet saccharide must be the chief amanuensis for sweetening, simply other sweeteners can also be added. Saccharide-cured hams are slap-up for people who dearest their ham to exist sweetness rather than salty.
Black Forest ham: Black Forest ham, strictly speaking, is made in the Black Forest region of Federal republic of germany. It is characterized past a blackened exterior and a season profile that comes from the herbs that are added to the cure. In the US, this ham is typically made stateside, just it mimics the appearance and flavor of a truthful Blackness Woods ham.
Prosciutto: Prosciutto is an Italian ham that is popular in the U.Southward. equally well. It is dry-cured, which means it doesn't need to exist cooked before serving. When served uncooked, it'southward known equally prosciutto crudo. It can be cooked, even so, to add delicious, salty flavor to dishes. Cooked proscuitto is known as prosciutto cotto. Prosciutto di Parma is one of the most renowned types of prosciutto and is produced in Parma, Italy. Prosciutto is often featured on charcuterie boards.
Serrano ham: Serrano ham hails from Spain, where it is called Jamón serrano. It is dry-cured, and so it's well-preserved and is served in a manner similar to Proscuitto — thinly sliced. The primary departure between Serrano ham and Proscuitto is that Serrano ham contains less fat and moisture, meaning information technology has a strong, concentrated flavor.
Bayonne ham: Bayonne ham comes from French republic, and is a boneless, dry-cured ham that also resembles prosciutto. This ham is aged for half dozen months before it achieves its signature flavor. The Bayonne Ham Council, which represents the pig farms, curing units and other involved in producing Bayonne ham, is aiming to export more than Bayonne ham to the U.S.

Enjoy Delicious Hams From S. Clyde Weaver Smoked Meats & Cheeses

Now that you lot know all the different types of ham and how to prepare them, you're ready to make your ham selection. For the nearly flavorful experience possible, try 1 of the expertly prepared ham products from South. Clyde Weaver Smoked Meats & Cheeses. We offer smoked boneless ham, bone-in shankless ham, Canadian bacon and more, and so y'all can notice the perfect type of ham for your side by side gathering.

By offering top-quality products, we help go on your shopping elementary so you don't have to spend time comparing dissimilar kinds of ham at the supermarket. With a century in the business, we've created a solid reputation for excellent quality and tastes that remind y'all of holiday dinners at home. We source our products locally, and we ship them across the nation, so no affair where you are, you can enjoy a gustation of Lancaster Canton.

When you order a ham from South. Clyde Weaver, you can be sure your family or dinner guests will be going for that second slice of tender, flavorful ham. Browse through our choice of smoked hams and bacon and place an social club today.

S. Clyde Weaver Boneless Hams