Ham - a timely subject and a vexing question...

[Mercs Own]

[SIZE=7.5pt]At this time of year I am sure I am not the only person that goes out and buys a whole leg ham on the bone for the Xrissy table - I do a turkey in the weber also but more on that in another thread.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=7.5pt]I picked up my ham today from my local butcher whose ham I will buy sliced every now and then and it is pretty good. I normally buy my Xmas ham from a small smoking company which unfortunately sold up around October this year - his hams were awesome![/SIZE]

[SIZE=7.5pt]So I got my ham home and just chanced to look on the label - I am a label reader - and found that my ham was in fact only 78% pork the other 22% was made up of water, salt, nitrites, acid regulator, sugar and other stuff etc etc In my label reading travels regarding ham I have found ham in the supermarket with as much as 95% pork and as low as 55% pork.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=7.5pt]Now the thing is I like Kevin's ham but I am not sure I want to be eating only 78% pork? My expectations on a gourmet ham would be that it be in the 90% pork range. Am I wrong; is the quality of a ham dependant on the amount of pork in the ham? Or is the quality all about the quality of the meat and the quality of the brine and smoking i.e. in the magic of Butchers like Kevin and how they ply their craft? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=7.5pt]Obviously a ham with a higher pork content will be a drier ham, a more meatier texture, flavour and mouth feel - something I like in a whole leg ham. A ham with a lower pork content is going to be a little more wet, a softer texture and possibly a little more salty.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=7.5pt]Where do you guys and girls sit in regards to your xmas ham? I know there are a couple of butchers lurking here what say you about pork content levels in ham?[/SIZE]

 

[Florian]

Didn't even read past the first sentence, sorry.

You got me at 'turkey in the weber', just started preparing the brine, will be dumping the bird into it in an hour or so.

Looking forward to your other thread, especially details on the weber cooking process.

Sorry for taking this off topic so quick.

 

[Bribie G]

In the past I've been disappointed by butchers house-smoked hams. The one I got a couple of years ago, when the rind was peeled back, looked inside like the work of that guy who does dissections on TV, quite gruesome and really dry as well.

This year I played safe and got an Aldi boneless free range ham "round" for about $13 a kilo, a bit bland but not bad in sandwiches and wraps etc.

 

[wessmith]

Jeez Paul, you had me worried there for a bit. Had to race out and check the ham I have in the fridge (Hans), it is 89% H2O plus all the other suspects. Feel a bit better now and in fact will be glazing said ham tomorrow.

Have a great Christmas mate.

Wes

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Just wondering if/how the water/moister content affects how long it keeps in the fridge when opened.

 

[Bribie G]

What is this fridge you speak of? In the old country we used to just hang the whole beast from the hook and use it for darts practice during the winter.

 

[zarniwoop]

FWIW my coles brand is 92% pork.

 

[wessmith]

Fear not the fridge my friends - the ham is still safe in its Cryovac cocoon. That is why I will not glaze it until the last moments so to speak. I will also (just to keep this thread beer related) pour some of my finest in the pan as I glaze.

Wes

 

[bradsbrew]

The woolworths one we have is 92%. My wife likes the store bought ones better the butchers, I prefer the butchers due to the smokeyness and a bit saltier.

Have never done a glazed ham. I just like it cold sliced the way it came from the shop/butchers. Whats the difference in flavour?

Cheers

 

[Parks]

Brad - a baked ham is like a woman with 30 min of foreplay.

If you need me to explain what that is let me know!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Edak]

Brad - a baked ham is like a woman with 30 min of foreplay.

If you need me to explain what that is let me know!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

depends on who is giving the foreplay...

 

[hellbent]

It just PMO what is bering done to our foods these days! I stopped buying Pork roasts from the big supermarkets ages ago after reading how their pork is water injected etc. I got a mate up here on a farm and he sells me a side of pork when I need it. Much better!

 

[wessmith]

The woolworths one we have is 92%. My wife likes the store bought ones better the butchers, I prefer the butchers due to the smokeyness and a bit saltier.

Have never done a glazed ham. I just like it cold sliced the way it came from the shop/butchers. Whats the difference in flavour?

Cheers

Really no difference to the actual meat flavour - just the fat takes on the flavour of the basting sauce and is cooked and caramelised not unlike pork crackling but without the skin. I will be using a Dujon mustrad based sauce with honey, ginger and a bit of Kecap Manis for that extra sweet flavour punch. At the end of the day glazing is about presentation. Its only around 45 mins @ 180C anyway.

Wes

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

It just PMO what is bering done to our foods these days! I stopped buying Pork roasts from the big supermarkets ages ago after reading how their pork is water injected etc.

They inject with brine. Butchers do the same. It allows the internal meat to get the brine as well as the outside. Also speeds up the process. Absolutly nothing wrong with the method. They do the same with corned silverside.

 

[bradsbrew]

Really no difference to the actual meat flavour - just the fat takes on the flavour of the basting sauce and is cooked and caramelised not unlike pork crackling but without the skin. I will be using a Dujon mustrad based sauce with honey, ginger and a bit of Kecap Manis for that extra sweet flavour punch. At the end of the day glazing is about presentation. Its only around 45 mins @ 180C anyway.

Wes

Is it served warm?

 

[Bridges]

Bertocchi picked up straight from the factory for me. 95% pork 100% awesome.

 

[wessmith]

Is it served warm?

Never in my experience.

Wes

 

[DU99]

My Mayfair picnic shoulder is 78% meat..i like getting ham and giving it fry up :icon_offtopic:

 

[bradsbrew]

Never in my experience.

Wes

Ah, now I get it. Just could not get my head around why you would want warm ham on hot summers day.

Cheers

 

[indica86]

http://www.makeitpossible.com/#film

While I'm not a vegan / vego / hippy / PETA freak or anything else like that, I am going to be shopping at my local butcher for ham / pork / bacon and buy free range where possible. Poor little piggies are so bloody lovely to eat.