Holiday hams, ham-and-cheese sandwiches, ham croquettes, ham-and-cheese omelets. All of them are tasty, and they all have one thing in common: ham! This meat can be used in a lot of different ways, so whether you want something sweet or savory, you’ll enjoy it. Fans of ham can’t help but wonder, though: what kind of meat does ham always come from?
Ham is a type of cured and processed meat that many people enjoy eating But despite its popularity, some confusion exists over exactly where ham comes from Is ham just a cut of regular pork, or does it come from another animal entirely? Let’s find out!
Ham’s Relationship to Pork
The short answer is that ham is made from pork. More specifically, ham is cut from the thigh or rear leg of a pig.
After the leg is removed from the pig, it goes through a curing and preservation process that turns the raw pork into the delicious smoked or dried ham many of us know and love. So while the curing and smoking processes differentiate ham from a plain pork roast, they both originate from the same animal
What About Other Animal Meats?
While traditional ham comes from pigs, there are some specialty products made from the legs of other animals that are sometimes marketed as ham.
For example:
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Turkey ham: Made from cured turkey thighs
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Venison ham: Made from cured deer leg or haunch
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Beef ham: Made from cured beef round or sirloin
However, traditional ham made from pork remains the most popular and widely available variety. Under U.S. labeling regulations, products can only be marketed as “ham” without qualifiers if they come from pork.
The Origins and History of Hams have been preserving pork by curing and salting for thousands of years. Some of the earliest evidence of ham production comes from ancient China, but the Romans and Gauls also wrote about salted, cured hams in their historic texts.
The word “ham” itself originated in Europe during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word “hamme” meaning the back of the knee. Over time, the meaning evolved to refer specifically to the cut of cured pork from the pig’s thigh region.
Ham grew even more ubiquitous thanks to improvements in preservation and cooking methods. Smoking ham over wood chips emerged as a popular technique to impart flavor while further extending shelf life.
Traditional dry curing methods developed in Europe are still used today for high-end hams like prosciutto and Serrano. But the mass production of wet-cured ham helped make it available to a much wider population around the world.
Regional Ham Specialties
While ham is beloved worldwide, some regions have their own unique types and production methods. Here are a few examples:
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Virginia Ham: An American dry-cured ham rubbed with salt, smoked over hickory and aged for at least 6 months.
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Prosciutto di Parma: An Italian dry-cured ham made in the Parma region and aged up to 2 years.
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Iberian Ham: A Spanish dry-cured ham made from acorn-fed Iberian pigs.
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Westphalian Ham: A German wet-cured ham smoked over beechwood and juniper branches.
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Jinhua Ham: A Chinese dry-cured ham named after the Jinhua region and aged up to one year.
How Ham is Made
Let’s take a closer look at the full process of how pork leg is transformed into sliced ham for our sandwiches and charcuterie boards.
1. Cutting and Trimming
Hams are cut from the pig’s rear leg, specifically the thigh and rump regions. Skin, excess fat, and bones are removed, resulting in a large, whole leg muscle.
2. Curing
Curing preserves the meat and adds flavor. Dry curing rubs salt directly on the meat, while wet curing soaks it in a salt brine. Sugar, spices, and preservatives may also be added.
3. Smoking
After curing, many hams are smoked by hanging in a controlled smokehouse. Wood chips—most commonly hickory, applewood, mesquite or oak—impart smoky notes.
4. Aging and Drying
Aging further tenderizes ham and develops the flavor. High-end dry cured hams age for 12 months to 2+ years. Wet hams age for a few weeks up to several months.
5. Slicing
The ham is ready to be thinly sliced, usually by machine. The lean, cured meat has its characteristic pink color and rich, salty flavor.
6. Packaging and Cooking
Sliced ham is packaged for sale raw. Consumers can enjoy it cold in sandwiches or charcuterie, or cook it in dishes like ham and eggs.
Common Questions About Ham
Here are answers to some other frequently asked questions about this popular cured meat.
Is ham considered raw or cooked?
Most ham you purchase in the grocery store has been fully cooked during processing. However, some high-end dry cured hams like prosciutto are sold uncooked.
How long does ham last?
An unopened package of cooked deli ham lasts 1-2 weeks past the sell by date if properly refrigerated. Once opened, it will last about 3-5 days. Fresh, uncured ham, like a raw pork leg, should be used within 3-5 days.
Can you eat ham raw?
It’s only considered safe to eat raw ham if it has gone through a full dry or wet curing process. Raw pork straight from the pig must always be thoroughly cooked before eating.
Is ham healthier than bacon or pork chops?
Ham is leaner than bacon or pork shoulder, since it comes from the leg. But sodium levels can be high depending on curing methods. As with any meat, moderation is key.
Delicious Ways to Enjoy Ham
There are so many possibilities when it comes to cooking ham for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Here are just a few ideas:
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Breakfast sandwich with fried egg and cheese
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Split pea soup with ham bone broth
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Hash with cubed ham and potatoes
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Panini with ham, Swiss cheese, and mustard
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Roasted Brussels sprouts topped with ham chips
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Penne pasta in creamy ham Alfredo sauce
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Ham and pineapple pizza
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Croque Monsieur or Monte Cristo sandwich
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Omelette folded with ham and fresh herbs
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Risotto mixed with peas and diced ham
Ham holds a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of meat lovers worldwide. Hopefully this cleared up exactly which animal ham comes from and how it gets to our plates. Now it’s time to cook up something deliciously ham-tastic!
What Part of the Pig Does Ham Come From?
Anyone who has seen a whole ham hanging in a butcher shop may have thought it looked like a big wooden club. If the ham hasn’t been cut yet, you may have even seen a pair of trotters at the end. That’s because ham is usually made from the pig’s back leg. Through the pig’s life, those leg muscles are used a lot, which is where all that dense meat comes from.
Why Do We Call It Ham?
If you say the word “ham” over and over, it stops sounding like English. But in fact, the word does come from English origins. The word comes from the Old English word hom, which means the back of the knee or its “hollow” part. It wasn’t until the 1400s that the word “ham” was used to describe the cut of meat. After that, things only got better!