I, like many of you I am sure, plan to make a ham over the Christmas holiday. While visiting with my son about the menu he said he thought hams were so confusing because you can purchase so many types. They can be fresh, cook-before-eating, cooked, picnic, and country types. He makes a very good point so I decided to do some research and try to minimize the confusion.
Fresh ham is uncured leg of pork. The label will have the term “fresh” on it somewhere which indicates it is not cured. Fresh hams must reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F before removing from an oven you have set no lower than 325 degrees F. For safety and quality, allow ham to rest for at least three minutes after removing it from the oven before carving or consuming.
Cured ham is leg meat that has been dry- or wet-cured. It is labeled according to the amount of water added to the ham during the curing process. Wet, or brine, curing is the most common and popular. It involves injecting a brine, or curing solution, into fresh meat. The solution contains water, salt, sugar, and spices. Smoke flavoring may also be injected with the solution.
Wet-cured hams are typically available in three different types:
1 ~ Ham with natural juices. This ham has a velvety texture and attractive appearance due to little water added during the curing process. It is a popular choice for holiday meals.
2 ~ Ham with water added. This is a good choice for steaks, thin-slicing, and shaving due to retaining more water during the curing process than ham with natural juices.
3 ~ Ham and water product. This ham has the most water added, is a good choice for ham that’s intended to be served cold, and is usually found at a deli counter.
Country-style, also known as old-fashioned or Southern-style, ham is dry cured and contains no added water. In dry curing a mixture of salt and spices is rubbed onto the fresh meat. This process produces an extremely salty product. Typically it is served in small portions, very thinly sliced, like prosciutto. Dry-cured hams may also be smoked. All varieties of cured ham can be purchased either boneless or bone-in. The usual color for cured ham is deep rose or pink while fresh ham has the pale pink or beige color of a fresh pork roast.
I hope this has helped diminish some of the confusion surrounding the different kinds of ham available. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
