Ham - this is what? How to cook ham at home?

Ham is a product that has been known to mankind for many centuries. Mention of it, as an ingredient used to prepare a variety of dishes, can be found in Chinese treatises attributed to the X-XIII centuries. And to this day ham is a product, dearly loved by gourmets. But how many ordinary people know about it? Here, for example, Parma ham - what is it?

What is ham?

Originally a ham called a product made from pork ham. He sat down, and then he smoked. Pork is a ham in its classic cooking. According to this simple and classic recipe, to this day, some types of this product are being prepared. For example, Italian Parma ham and Spanish jamon. They are the delicacies and symbols of the national cuisines of these countries.

Habits most common to people, sausage, ham - a product consisting of small pieces of meat, separated from bones, fat and tendons. During the preparation, they are aged in the marinade before ripening, pressed into molds and cooked. Also roasting and smoking are allowed. Classical ham consists only of pork meat and salt, but manufacturers often use other types of meat, such as beef, turkey, chicken, to expand the range of their products.

Types of ham

Depending on the preparation method and country of origin, the product can be divided into several types:

• Boiled ham can be prepared from pork ham with the addition of spices, roots, onions and carrots. The product is aged for a certain time in the marinade. Then it is brewed. This product differs special juiciness and tenderness.
• The difference between boiled and smoked ham is that after pickling the meat is first smoked and then boiled with the addition of spices. The product is distinguished by a nourishing appetizing crust.
• Smoked baked ham is also marinated in brine. But then it is not boiled, but immediately baked in roasting chambers at a temperature of not more than 95 ° C, and after it is smoked.
• The type of smoked hams is Black Forest. When it is cooked, the meat is first fried in an oven. Then it is smoked using pine and spruce firewood from the Black Forest.

• The raw ham is bresaola. The motherland of this product is Italy. It is made from beef, which is salted, and then dried in the open air for 2 months.
• Also to the raw varieties is the jamon. For its preparation, only pork ham and salt are used. Hamon is divided into two types: Serrano and Iberico. They differ in the duration of cooking, as well as in the color of hooves of pigs, from which they are made.
• A special kind of product is Parma ham. What it is? The product is a kind of ham, for the preparation of which only three pigs can be used . In this case, the weight of the carcass should exceed 150 kg. This type of ham refers to the raw. To make it, the ham is marinated for three weeks. Then he will be dipped in the open air for a year.
• The prosciutto ham comes from Italy. It is a classic variant of a raw meat product, in the preparation of which only meat and salt is used.

On the question of whether ham is pork or beef, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer. It depends on where and who cooked it.

How to choose a ham?

To date, store shelves are bursting with all sorts of meat products from different manufacturers. The quality of these products can be very different from each other. As a rule, large and well-known manufacturers value their reputation. Therefore, when choosing a ham, you should pay attention, first of all, to their products. But in this case it is worth remembering a few rules.

• The packaging should indicate that the products are manufactured in compliance with GOST 9165-59 standards. The ham should not contain flavors, baking powder and other additives.
• The product cut must be gray-pink in color. He should not shine. The reverse case indicates that preservatives are present in the formulation.
• The shell must be dense and dry, with no visible damage.
• The aroma of ham also plays an important role. A quality product smells like meat, not smoked. It should not have other foreign smells.
• An important factor in the quality of ham is its price. You should choose a product that will be slightly more expensive than the cost of a fresh pork shoulder blade.

Ham is a perishable product. This should be remembered when buying it. Shelf life of the cut product is reduced to three days. So do not stock it for future use.

How to cook ham at home?

To make homemade ham you need a ham, a set of spices, salt and patience. After all, the process is quite long. First you need to prepare the brine. It is produced in a hot way. Spices and salt are boiled, and then cool.

A piece of meat is cut off with a brine by means of a syringe. It is important to do this from all sides and at different depths. From this procedure depends how juicy and fragrant the cooked ham will turn out. Then the meat is stored in a container and filled with brine remnants. It should be covered with a plate with the load placed on it and sent to the refrigerator to marinate for 3 days. It is necessary to periodically turn the meat, for better distribution of the brine. After a piece is taken, bound with a dense rope or wrapped with food film.

The product is brewed 2-2.5 hours at a temperature of 85 degrees. If it is increased, the ham will have a taste of simple boiled meat. Then the meat is treated with cold water and, as it cools down, it is sent to the refrigerator to be infused for several hours or overnight.

Something about the benefits of ham

Natural ham is undoubtedly useful. But only if it is made without the use of artificial preservatives and dyes. First of all, ham is meat. Consequently, it is a source of protein, which is necessary for human health.

It also contains important fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It will be fair to note about the high calorie content of ham. From which it follows that people suffering from metabolic disorders and overweight should limit the use of this meat product.

Application in Cooking

Ham is one of the valuable foods of modern man. It is used, both as an independent dish, and as a part of a variety of dishes. For example, hams are made with rolls with different fillings, baked with potatoes, added to pastries and soups.