Ham in a small saucepan
Ham has been extremely popular for centuries. Although the best known in the world are the salted, dry-aged Mediterranean hams, there is no shame in the differently cured hams of the home country. Ham is a separate product group in the Hungarian Food Guide.
In addition to the exact definition of ham, we will show you what to look out for when buying ham, how to store it and how to eat it, and of course we will also take you on a trip around the world, including Parma ham and bresaola, but also that the Italians have a master of salt and the Spanish have a ham cutter. The guide also includes recipes.
Ham history, short ham insight, definition of the Food Guide
Ham eating dates back to the domestication of the pig, in the 7th millennium BC. And the first forms of today’s Italian and Spanish hams may have been made in antiquity, when it was discovered that meat could be preserved in Mediterranean climates by salting and air-drying. The most famous Italian and Spanish hams of today are still made in this way.
In cooler and wetter weather than in Mediterranean countries, ham cannot be preserved by salting and drying alone. This is one of the ways in which we smoke our hams. Smoking protects the surface of the ham from mould and gives it a special flavour.
Hams, like cold cuts, salami and cured sausages, are defined as a separate product group in the Hungarian Food Guide.
In Hungary, we divide them into three different subgroups according to the processes used, and thus distinguish between raw, heat-treated and cured hams. The Foodstuffs Codex specifically mentions Parasztsonká among the products.
What animals can be used to make ham in Hungary? Not all ham is pork
Contrary to popular belief, the Hungarian Food Guide does not only allow ham to be made from pork, but also from beef shanks or shoulder and similar carcasses of large game, in addition to raw and cured ham, for example, in accordance with the Hungarian Food Guide. In addition to the meat cuts already mentioned, ham in the form or cured in the casing can also be made from poultry thighs or breasts. So, even sliced, turkey breast ham is not a cold cut but, as the name suggests, a ham.
Good to know! If a ham is made exclusively from pork, it can be called simply a ham, but if it is made from beef or chicken, for example, the type of animal must be indicated.
Types of ham as defined in the Hungarian Food Guide
Raw hams are products, whether or not cut into pieces, with or without skin, bone or without bone and cartilage, which are produced by curing or salting or by curing and salting, according to the Hungarian Food Guide. They are preserved by smoking and drying. It is worth knowing that in the case of leather products, the layer of bacon must be less than 2 cm thick. When buying such a product, care should be taken that it does not release juice without pressure and that it is not shrivelled and hard.
Heat-treated hams, like raw hams, are skinned or skinless, boneless and cartilage-less, but typically cut into pieces. After curing, a distinction can be made between cooked, smoked and cooked, smoked and baked, or smoked, cooked and baked hams. As with raw ham, the layer of bacon must be less than 2 cm thick. In other respects, the consistency must be well cooked or cooked through, not chewy and easy to slice, and must not release juice without pressure in the same way as raw ham.
Parasztsonka, also known as Hungarian ham, is a separate category of meat products and prepared meats. Quick curing is not permitted and it is traditionally preserved by salting, pickling, smoking and drying. Parma ham is matured whole for at least 30 days, as required by the rules. The thickness of the bacon is no more than 2 cm and the ratio of meat to bacon is at least 4:1.
Kometa tip
Homemade ham on the house? And so much so that you won't be eating it for a while? You may want to baste it 0.5-1 cm thick, so it will last for 0.5-1 year, or even longer in a cool chamber without drying out. If you don't have a pantry, you may want to freeze it in portions and label it.
Did you know?
In the old days, they used to add paprika to the fat to keep the flies off the ham. Of course, before eating it, the fat layer was removed, so that the ham tasted not so much spicy but deliciously mature.
Hams around the world
The best known are the hams of Mediterranean ethnic groups. In these countries, ham is not only considered a food but also a cultural heritage. Did you know, for example, that the Italians have a salt master and the Spanish a ham cutter? What’s more, in Spain there are also ham-cutting and curing competitions for future ham masters. For example, there is a competition to see who can cut a thin strip of ham, how many metres evenly in a slice. Of course, we’ve not missed the famous Italian and Spanish hams, but if you look around the world, you’ll find other taste bombs.
Italy
An Italian speciality, Prosciutto di Parma is one of the most controlled hams in the world, protected by the PDO and flavoured with just a little salt. It has to meet a number of criteria to get the stamp of authenticity. For example, it must be made only from the legs of pigs from the area. Pigs reared in the area used to eat a lot of chestnuts. There are also strict rules on what these pigs can eat, including fruit and the by-products of the production of Parmesan cheese in the region. In addition to the breed of animal, the quality of the feed and the local air, the secret of Parma ham lies in the slaughter weight (160-180 kg) and the salting technique, which is carried out by a master salt-maker. Apart from salting, the ham is not seasoned and must not contain flavour enhancers, colourings, etc. Drying takes place in the open air and may last for more than a year.
Prosciutto Crudo and Prosciutto Toscana, for example, are not from Parma, but other Italian specialities. KOMETA’s products include Prosciutto Crudo, an Italian meat speciality made from pork rind, salted and then matured for 12-14 months. Its flavour is due to the salting and the typical slightly sweet aroma of long-aged hams. Prosciutto Toscana is characterised by a deep, full-bodied flavour, due to the addition of salt, pepper and garlic.
A Bresaola, which is also part of the KOMETA Pedranzini Selection, is also an Italian speciality. The salted, cured and then matured ham is a real delicacy.
Spain
Serrano ham (Jamon Serrano) accounts for the bulk of ham production in Spain. Like Parma ham, it is produced under highly controlled conditions. It takes its name from the Sierra mountain range, where it was previously cured for up to 3 years. Nowadays, it is cured in a special drying method. Unlike the robust Parma ham, its shape is more elongated and resembles a guitar. Thin slicing is carried out by a respected ham cutter (cortador de jamon), who needs special tools as well as his expertise.
Jamon Iberico is made from black-hoofed pata negra, a pig native to the Iberian Peninsula, and is the most distinctive of all Spanish pig breeds. There are several types(cebo, rebeco, bellota, and the top category within the latter, the Joselito), depending on the diet and husbandry habits. For example, some pigs eat only acorns for months. A minimum of 3 kg of acorns per day will fatten them rapidly and evenly distribute the fat in their meat, giving it a marbled appearance. The Joselito pig, which is a top gastronomy pig, eats up to 7 kg of acorns a day, so that its taste is dominated by the nutty, oily, sweetish characteristics of acorns. The latter hams are produced in limited quantities and are usually bought years before they are ready, usually by those who have the right to buy them in advance.
Good to know! the meat of a really ripe ham is dark in colour, has an intense flavour and almost melts on the tongue. It is interesting to note that the Hungarian Mangalica, which is in the process of extinction, owes its popularity to the fact that Spanish pig breeding could not meet the demand and therefore the search for marbled meat pigs started all over the world, including in our country.
Kometa tip: There are now many protected hams on the shelves not only in Italy and Spain, but also in Hungary. Of course, this is a guarantee of quality and production, but if you are a tourist in these countries, you should also try hams from smaller producers.
Tudtad? The quality of long-matured hams is checked by inserting a dried and polished shin bone of a horse into the middle of the ham and then smelling it.
Germany
Black Forest Ham (schwarzwaldi) from Germany, with its characteristic aroma, is made by letting the pigs mature after salting and seasoning, then resting them in a cool place for another two weeks. Its characteristic smoky flavour is also due to the cold smoking technique on fresh pine wood. It is also a protected designation of origin ham: it must be produced in the Black Forest region, but it is not a condition that the pigs come from there.
Czech Republic
In the past, the craftsmen of Prague used quality young pork to produce the famous Czech delicacy, Prague ham. The basic ingredient is boneless pork leg, flavoured with various spices. It is a non-proprietary product geographically, so it can be made anywhere, with slightly different flavours and techniques. The basic characteristic is that the boneless, moulded, leathery thigh is marinated, then cooked and smoked. High-meat Prague ham is an excellent choice for sandwiches. Kometa Oven Baked Ham, with 87% meat content, has a smoky flavour, harmonious seasoning and the unique aroma of the roasted pork leg.
The list could go on and on within the countries already mentioned and adding new ones. It’s a matter of taste which one will be your favourite, but feel free to taste! In the USA, for example, different hams are made from state to state. Belgium’s famous ham is the Ardennes ham, named after the Ardennes, while in China, Jinhua ham, made without smoking, is also named after a city. York ham in England has a milder flavour than other European dry-cured hams. And if you’re on holiday in Croatia, don’t miss out on Pršut ham!
Versatile ham: the meeting of tradition and gastronomy at the top
Store it like this!
The best place to store smoked ham is in a cool, well-ventilated, dry place with low humidity, such as a pantry, attic or cellar. It should be hung up to allow excess moisture to drip out. The latter is a natural process, so don’t be afraid of it! The moisture content of the meat is constantly decreasing, so the longer you store it, the harder and drier it will become, but this will not affect its quality. And there is no reason to be alarmed by salt stains on the outside of the ham, since it is the salt content that gives the meat its durability.
If you have received or bought smoked ham in a plastic bag and you don’t have a pantry, attic or cellar, put it in the fridge after you take it out of the plastic bag. You can leave it on a plate or wrap it in greaseproof paper: the important thing is that it can breathe. It’s important to remember that ham will keep less time in the fridge than outdoors.
Sliced, packaged products can be safely eaten when stored in the fridge for the ‘best before’ period indicated on the label. Once opened, they should be consumed within a few days.
How can we eat it? – There are so many uses for so many hams!
The only limit to how you can use ham is your imagination. This meat delicacy, which is easy to include in a balanced diet, can be sliced and used as a sandwich topping or as part of an appetizer. Add cheese, olives, vegetables and wholemeal sourdough bread to the ham and you have a quick, delicious and healthy dinner. While we often eat onions with ham, in Italy one of the most common pairings is cantaloupe. Ham can also be used to make casseroles and stuffed dishes, such as a very simple but delicious ham casserole or a cordon bleu. And at Easter, ham is the main feature on most family tables: with horseradish, eggs, kalacha, radishes and spring onions, it adds an unforgettable flavour to the feast.
A little delicacy in the garden or on a hike: not only bacon, but also ham can be skewered! With onions, you can make a really delicious meal out of just two ingredients. You can also eat lots of vegetables and of course bread.
For the novice chef! There are also cooked hams available in the shops, so don’t cook them at home!
Kometa tip: How to make cooked ham really tasty (not just at Easter)
In most families, ham is only cooked at Easter. This shouldn't be the case, as it's a delicious, healthy meal that fits perfectly into a healthy diet, and there are just a few tips to follow to make it just right.
Here:
Extra tip: boil the eggs in the degreased cooking juices to make them extra tasty. If there is any cooking juices left over, they are a super base for potato soup, bean soup, etc.
