ham /hæm/
- Hams are cuts of pork from the leg, which are cured using a salt-based mix and then cooked and often smoked. Ham is fairly low in fat and available as bone-in, semi-boneless or boneless. There are many different varieties, all are cured and can be smoked or unsmoked.
Context: “Karl enjoys his ham thinly sliced.”
Varieties of ham
- English
- A traditional favourite made with lean boneless leg meat and cooked to perfection.
- Champagne
- Boneless, lean premium cuts of leg meat cured with traditional brine, then netted for smoking and cooking. Unfortunately it does not actually contain champagne!
- Smoked
- Traditionally, ham is smoked with timber, wood chips or sawdust in a special smokehouse. It may be referred to as double- or triple- smoked to denote a stronger smoke flavour, or use a particular wood type, e.g. hickory or oak.
- Honey
- Ham with a sweeter taste, which comes from real honey included in the recipe.
[dyk]
- Virginian
- Boneless, premium cuts of leg meat in a flat shape, which originates from country-style hams in the US state of Virginia.
- COB (Cooked on the Bone):
- Cooked on Bone (COB) hams are exactly that – ham made from the whole leg of the pig, cured, cooked and smoked with the bone still in place. Many of us would recognize this as a traditional Christmas ham. Their large size – 5kg to 12 kg, makes them perfect for serving a crowd.
- Picnic Ham
- This is not a true ham but a cut from the shoulder of the pig, which has been cured and smoked. It is not as lean or tender but is less expensive. A good choice when in need of chopped or diced ham to add to other dishes.