Ham is pork from legs that have been cured with wet or dry curing, with or without cigarettes. As processed meat, the term "ham" includes pieces of whole meat and meat that have been mechanically formed.
Ham is made worldwide, including a number of highly coveted regional specialties, such as ham Westphalian and several types of Spanish jamÃÆ'³n . In addition, many ham products have certain geographic naming protection, such as Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto Toscano in Europe, and Smithfield ham in the US.
Video Ham
History
The preservation of the pig's foot as a ham has a long history, with Cato the Elder writing about "salting ham" in his book De Agri Cultura around 160 BC.
There is a claim that the Chinese are the first to mention the production of preserved ham. Larousse Gastronomique claims to be from Gaul. It must have been established by the Roman period, as evidenced by the import trade of Gaul mentioned by Marcus Terentius Varro in his writings.
The modern word "ham" comes from the Old English ham or hom which means curve or bend knee, from a German base which means "crooked". It started referring to the pork chunks that came from the hind legs of pigs around the 15th century.
Due to the curing process, ham is a food or compound material, made from real meat, as well as remnants of preservatives, such as salt, but still recognized as self-right foods.
Maps Ham
Method
Ham is produced by curing raw pig by marinating, also known as dry curing, or brine, also known as wet curing. In addition smoking can be used. In addition to salt, some ingredients can be used to obtain flavoring and pickling, from black pepper (eg Prosciutto Toscano) to saffron (eg "Zafferano di San Gimignano").
Dry-heal
Traditional dried caterpillars can use only salt as a curative agent, such as with San Daniele or Parma ham, although this is relatively rare. This process involves cleansing raw meat, covering it with salt while gradually suppressed it drains the entire blood. Specific herbs and spices can be used to add flavor during this step. Ham is then washed and hung in a dark place, the temperature is set to dry. Then hanged into the air for another time period.
The duration of the preservation process varies according to the type of ham, with, for example, Serrano ham curing within 9-12 months, Parma ham takes more than 12 months, and the Iberian ham takes up to 2 years to achieve desired flavor characteristics. Some dry ham, such as Jinhua ham, takes about 8 to 10 months to complete.
Most modern dry dry medications also use nitrites (sodium nitrite or potassium nitrate), which are added together with salt. Nitrates are used because they prevent bacterial growth and, in reaction with meat myoglobin, give the desired dark red product. The amount and mixture of salt and nitrites used has an effect on the shrinkage of meat. Because nitrite toxicity (the lethal dose of nitrite to humans is about 22 mg per kg body weight), some areas determine the maximum nitrite content permitted in the final product. Under certain conditions, especially during cooking, nitrites in the meat can react with the amino acid degradation product, forming nitrosamines, known as carcinogens.
Dry ham drying involves a number of enzymatic reactions. The enzymes involved are proteinases (cathepsins - B, D, H & L, and calpains) and exopeptidases (peptidase and aminopeptidase). These enzymes cause proteolysis of muscle tissue, which creates a large number of small peptides and free amino acids, while adipose tissue undergoes lipolysis to create free fatty acids. Salt and phosphate act as powerful inhibitors of proteolytic activity. The animal factors that affect enzymatic activity include age, weight, and proliferation. During the process itself, conditions such as temperature, duration, moisture content, redox potential, and salt content all have an effect.
The salt content in dry-healed ham varies across a piece of meat, with gradients determined by sampling and testing or non-invasively through CT scan.
Wet-heal
Ham is wet-healed mated, which involves soaking the meat in saltwater, sometimes with other ingredients such as sugar also added to flavor. Meat is usually stored in salt water for about 3 to 14 days. Wet curing also has the effect of increasing the volume and weight of the finished product, by about 4%.
The wet preservation process can also be achieved by pumping the preservative solution into the meat. This can be faster, increasing the weight of the finished product over soaking, and ensuring a more even distribution of salt through meat. This process is faster than traditional preservation, usually completed within a few days.
Smoking
Ham can also be preserved through smoking, where meat is placed in a smoke house (or equivalent) to be healed by the smoke action.
The main flavor compounds of smoked ham are guaiacol, and 4-, 5-, and 6-methyl derivatives as well as 2,6-dimethylphenol. These compounds are produced by lignin combustion, a major component of wood used in smoke homes.
Label
In many countries, this term is now protected by law, with a special definition. For example, in the United States, the Federal Regulatory Code (CFR) says that "the word 'ham', without a prefix indicating which animal species from which it belongs, should be used in labeling only with respect to hogs' paws".
In addition to the main categories, some processing options may affect legal labeling. For example, in the United States, a "smoked" ham must have been smoked by being hung over wood chips in a smoked house or an atomized smoke spray so the appearance of the product is equivalent; ham "hickory-smoked" must have been smoked using only hickory. However, injecting "smoke scents" is not the legal basis for claiming "smoked" ham; this is labeled "smoke flavor added". Ham can only be labeled "honey-cured" if honey is at least 50% of the sweetener used, at least 3% of the formula, and has a noticeable effect on the flavor. The so-called "lean" and "lean extra" hams should adhere to the maximum levels of fat and cholesterol per 100 grams of the product.
All fresh pork legs can be labeled as fresh ham in the United States.
Protected assignments
A number of hams worldwide have several levels of protection of their unique characteristics, usually related to conservation methods or production or processing sites. Depending on jurisdiction, rules may prevent other products sold with certain designations, such as through European-protected geographical indications.
Usage
Ham is usually used in the form of slices, often as stuffing for sandwiches and similar foods, such as in ham sandwiches and ham and cheese sandwiches. Other variations include grilled sandwiches such as croque-monsieur and Cubano. This is also a popular topping for pizza in the United States.
In the UK, pieces of pork, either whole or sliced, have been cured but require an additional dish known as gammon. Gammons are healed traditionally before being cut from the side of the pig along with bacon. When cooked, gammon is ham. The grilled meat like that is a traditional part of the British Christmas dinner.
Health effects
As processed meat, there is concern over the health effects of meat consumption. A meta-analysis study from 2012 has shown statistically relevant correlations between processed meat consumption and pancreatic cancer risk, with an increase in consumption of 50 grams (1.8 oz) per day leading to a 19% increase in risk.
This supports previous studies, including the 2007 Study of Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: Global Perspectives, by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, which examines more than 7,000 published studies worldwide. Among the recommendations is that, except for very rare occasions, people should avoid eating ham or other processed meats - meat products are preserved, smoked, salted or chemically preserved like bacon, hot dogs, sausages, salami, and pastrami. The report states that once a person reaches 510 grams (18 o, oz) of the weekly limit for red meat, every 48 grams (1.7 o, ounces) of processed meat a day increases cancer risk by 21%.
A European cohort study from 2013 also correlated positively with consumption of processed meat with higher all-cause mortality, with an estimate that 3.3% of deaths among participants could be prevented by consuming less than 20 grams (0.71 oz) of which is processed meat per day.
See also
- Ham and eggs
- List of ham
- List of ham dishes
- List of smoked foods
- Turkish ham
References
External links
- History of Ham
- United States Department of Agriculture: Ham and food safety
- Thesaurus Cooka: ham
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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