Last week we covered the basics of ham - how to choose, heat, and carve a ham for family dinner. But the world of ham (wouldn't that be a great amusement park? World of Ham!) is far more complex than the basic hams you find at the grocery store.
Ham flavor combinations
In general, ham pairs well with sweet tastes.
Pineapple and ham
This is one of the quintessential 1950s dishes: a ham prepared with pineapple rings, each of which is secured to the ham by a maraschino cherry speared by a toothpick. Ham and pineapple is a great salty/sweet combination, not unlike a standard honey-glazed ham.
Another pineapple and ham combination is the classic Hawaiian pizza. I am a big fan, although I know not everyone likes it.
Image courtesy Flickr/Jo Naylor
Ham and Dr. Pepper
This is one of those wacky hillbilly foods which is actually pretty good. Once again, you are basically just putting a sweet glaze on a ham. But instead of honey or pineapple, you are using Dr. Pepper. Don't tell people what you used, and they would probably never guess. It's surprisingly tasty! (I wonder how Pepsi ham would taste?)
Ham and apples
From the iconic image of the suckling pig with an apple in its mouth, to the idea of serving ham with applesauce, ham and apples have gone together for centuries. You can roast ham with apples, and I have even seen suggestions to add apple slices to a ham sandwich.
Fancy hams
What is it about a pig's thigh that makes people want to smoke and preserve the meat? Regardless, there are tons of fancy hams out there in the world, far beyond the standard sliced deli ham you might find at the store.
Black Forest Ham
Black Forest ham is cured and cold-smoked gently over a long period of time. This long smoking time is what gives the ham its distinctive black outer layer. It has a rich, smoky taste and lasts for weeks in a cool room. Like many specialty hams, true Black Forest ham should never be refrigerated. (Crazy!)
Image courtesy Flickr/daves cupboard
Canadian Bacon
If you have ever wondered what Canadian bacon really is, it's basically a different part of the pig that gets prepared like ham. Canadian bacon is part of the loin from the back, which is salted and smoked. That's why it tastes so much like ham, although technically it isn't.
Country Ham
Country ham is one of the basic forms of preserving hams. They are rubbed in salt and then smoked, but never actually cooked. Smithfield and Black Forest are two examples of country-cured ham.
Country ham, because it has been cured with salt, is extremely salty. You will probably need to rinse the salt off the exterior, and possibly even soak the ham before eating. Even so, it will be quite salty. (That's a feature, not a bug.) The directions should tell you more about how to prep your specific ham before eating.
Fresh Ham
This is just the plain, uncooked, uncured, unaltered raw pork. Not very common these days, but you can request fresh ham from most butchers if you want to bake your own ham from scratch.
Image courtesy Flickr/@matpacker
Picnic Ham
This is the shoulder of the pig, instead of the thigh. It tends to be slightly cheaper than the thigh. It's basically the pork version of a designer knock-off. If you are having trouble finding fresh ham, you might want to look for picnic ham or pork shoulder instead. Picnic ham is not quite as tender as the true ham, but the flavor and texture is similar.
Prosciutto
This Italian ham has been dry-cured, a process which can take up to two years. No wonder prosciutto is so expensive! Served thinly sliced, prosciutto is excellent paired with melon or figs as an appetizer, in sandwiches, and other tasty morsels.
Image courtesy Flickr/hungrynerd
Smithfield hams
Considered the "best ham in America," Smithfield hams are raised and cured within the township of Smithfield, North Carolina. They are dry cured with a mixture of sugar and salt, then lightly smoked.
(Fun fact: my uncle once brought home a Smithfield ham from North Carolina. He had a fun time getting it through airport security. Turns out that a large bone-in ham looks an awful lot like a dismembered human leg in your luggage.)
Main image courtesy Flickr/camknows
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