Ham is a salted and smoked pork leg that retains the structure of the meat. Sometimes, however, it is not the ham that is used as a raw material for the production of ham, but the shoulder, and in general they know how to make ham from turkey, and from chicken, and from game - that’s not the point. Depending on the method of preparation, ham can be boiled, boiled-smoked, smoked-baked, raw smoked and dry-cured, and the difference between all its types is determined simultaneously by the method of processing pork, its breed, and regional ideas about ideal quality and taste, as in in the case of Parma, for example. The main thing is different: ham is an absolutely indispensable product in the kitchen, which can replace or complement meat, add salt to hot and cold dishes, or even perform a purely decorative function.

Boiled ham

Boiled ham is most often prepared from pork ham with the addition of onions, carrots, roots and spices, and before that it is kept in brine, which is why the meat acquires a soft and uniform consistency.

Boiled smoked ham

The production technology is as follows: pork ham is soaked in marinade or brine for several hours, then smoked for a long time, and then boiled with spices. Cooked-smoked ham usually has a soft pink color and a golden, rough crust.

Black Forest Ham

Black Forest Ham is an intensely flavored Black Forest ham with a coarse black-brown rind that results from smoking over spruce chips and pine cones and then cooking at high temperatures for a long time.

Ham bresaola

Bresaola is a cured Italian ham made from salted beef that matures in the fresh air for eight weeks and acquires a noble aroma. In its homeland in Lombardy, bresaola is often used to make carpaccio.

Turkey ham

Turkey fillet, like pork ham, is soaked in marinade or brine for several hours, after which it is boiled with the addition of herbs and spices. Turkey ham turns out to be low-fat, almost dietary.

Serrano ham

Serrano ham is the same jamon, but differs from Iberian ham in the breed of pigs and their diet. The serrano jamon leg has a white hoof rather than a black hoof.

York ham

In the production of real York ham, the pork ham is first dry salted, without soaking in brine, and then smoked and dried, which makes the meat so dense and durable that it can even be stewed.

Smoked ham

Almost all varieties of ham are lightly smoked using hot and cold methods, and also, in the cheap version, using liquid smoke. A small slice of ham, sautéed with onions, will add smoky flavor to a soup or stir-fry.

Smoked ham on the bone

Ham on the bone has a richer and more complex taste, since the bones additionally flavor and enhance the meat during processing. This type of ham must be cut carefully: the bone often softens so much that it crumbles and can get into the food.

Parma ham

Parma ham is a dry-cured ham from Parma, for the production of which only three breeds of pigs are used, raised strictly in the regions of Central or Northern Italy, the carcasses of which weigh at least 150 kg. The meat is kept in a special brine for three weeks, and then dried in mountain air for 10-12 months. As a result of this processing, a pork leg weighing 10-11 kilograms is reduced in weight to seven.

Prosciutto

Prosciutto means “ham” in Italian - and apart from the ham itself and salt (and clean mountain air), nothing else is used to produce prosciutto.

Jamon, or Iberian ham, is the main Spanish meat delicacy, and its main producer is Jamón de Trevelez. In 1862, Queen Isabella II of Spain tasted ham from Treveles and allowed the ham to be stamped with the imprint of her crown. The city of Treveles is located at an altitude of 1200 meters, and, except for salt, air and pork, no other components are used in the production of this type of dry-cured ham.

The name of this product comes from the word “decrepit”, although this does not mean that it is old and unfit for consumption. Ham, which will be discussed next, was invented as a food for long-term storage. Even in ancient times, after special processing, pieces of meat (usually used for these purposes) could be stored for months. Today the meaning of this word has changed a little. Nowadays, ham refers to smoked or salted pork, and there are hundreds of variations of this product. But is meat healthy in this form, how often can you consume it, and is it worth eating it at all?

Origin story

Today this pork product is known all over the world. Historians attribute the domestication of pigs to the Chinese. It was they, as researchers of the past assure, who first prepared a dish from a domesticated pig around 4900 BC. Europe learned the taste of domestic pork only in 1500 BC. By the 17th century, these domestic animals had already reached the New World and Africa. In those days, salted pork had already gained worldwide popularity. They say that something similar to ham was prepared by the culinary specialists of Ancient Rome, who in the 1st century BC. e. described in detail the technology of smoking ham. The first canned ham appeared in the twentieth century. It was invented by the American George Hormel in 1926. Ham according to his recipe, drenched, can still be bought in supermarkets today.

And although classic ham is a meat dish made from pork, among different peoples and at different times it was prepared from bear meat, venison, and even chicken. Traditionally, pork ham is used for the dish, although some gourmets prefer the back or front shoulder, which is first salted and then slightly smoked.

Varieties and types of ham

Of course, ham can hardly be called a healthy food with healing properties. Meanwhile, moderate consumption of this product will provide the body with many beneficial substances without any side effects.

Even in ancient Rome they were preparing this delicacy. Essentially, ham is smoked or salted pork butt. But nowadays you can find a huge variety of hams from completely different types of meat on the market. Why is she so popular? How to choose ham so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy for the body? Is there a ham whose calorie content would not frighten those who are watching their figure with their large numbers? Today we will look into these issues.

Production technologies

Ham differs not only in the types of meat from which it is made, but also in the production technology itself. Each country has its own variety of ham, which is considered the most delicious and popular among buyers.

For example, in Germany it would be Black Forest ham. It is a piece of dry meat that has been specially smoked on spruce branches. In France, on the contrary, they prefer not to smoke meat, but to air dry the salted meat. Philippine ham is unusual. Its calorie content per 100 grams will be an order of magnitude greater than the previous ones, since it is soaked and soaked in a special sweet broth.

The most useful for women losing weight will be French ham (calorie content - 158-170 kcal per hundred grams of product), because it is produced exclusively from lean, lean meat.

In every part of the world, different types of meat are used for production. In Germany, for example, these are young piglets, fattened on a menu specially compiled for them. In Portugal, only small black pigs are used to make this meat delicacy. If we talk about our country, it was in the Soviet Union that the raw-smoked and cooked-smoked version of ham was invented.

Composition and calorie content of ham

Gourmets, nutritionists and culinary experts agree on one thing - ham is the standard of gastronomy. Ideal pork ham: calorie content - 278 kcal and contains only meat and salt. Unscrupulous manufacturers, of course, today add various preservatives, flavor enhancers and other ingredients that are completely unnecessary for this product. If you don't know how to choose ham, just read the ingredients. Here you will be able to understand for sure whether this is a healthy meat delicacy or an unhealthy surrogate.

The nutritional value

It is impossible not to note the nutritional value of this product. In addition to the fact that ham contains a large amount of protein and healthy fats, it is also rich in vitamins. Ham contains: vitamins B2, B12, B6, B9, B1, D, E. Ham is also rich in minerals: zinc, iron, sodium, copper, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese. If you eat only one hundred grams of high-quality ham, then unsaturated and saturated fatty acids will also enter the body.

Pork ham

Now let's talk about the different types of ham, their composition and calorie content. The most popular among buyers, as we have already said, is pork ham. Calorie content per 100 grams is 275-278 kcal.

Beef ham

Ham made from beef is no less popular. It ranks second in calorie content - 158 kcal per hundred grams. Experts advise to be sure to study the composition on the label. Some manufacturers manage to put cheaper and low-quality meat into beef ham.

Chicken ham

Ham made from lean and dietary chicken meat is in great demand today. Chicken ham, whose calorie content is only 150 kcal per hundred grams, is a favorite delicacy of all those who are losing weight. But if you are attentive to your health and really want to eat right, then, again, look at the composition. It is important that the ham contains nothing other than chicken and salt. No spices or other additives are needed. Ham is surprisingly tasty without them.

Turkey ham

Do you think that all vegetable salads are tasteless and bland? Try this option: turkey ham, one bell pepper, Chinese cabbage or lettuce, fresh cucumber and olive oil as a dressing. It turns out that losing weight is delicious - it's simple.

Description

Mentions of ham, which was used in the preparation of a variety of dishes, are found in Chinese texts predating the Song Empire (10th-13th centuries). Several types of ham were described during the Qing Dynasty (17th-20th centuries), where it was used, among other things , for preparing so-called “Asian soups”.

Ham - salted and smoked pork ham, back or less often front shoulder of pork, ribs. There are also hams made from bear, deer, turkey, chicken, etc.

The ham that is on store shelves is often obtained as follows.

During the trimming process, trimmed beef with a mass fraction of connective and adipose tissue of no more than 3% is isolated from the hip, humeroscapular and dorso-lumbar parts or from blocks of trimmed or untrimmed meat, and trimmed beef is isolated with a mass fraction of connective and adipose tissue of no more than 20%.

Then the beef is crushed, and trimmed beef with a mass fraction of connective and adipose tissue of no more than 3% is crushed on a receiving knife into pieces weighing from 0.02 to 0.04 kg, and trimmed beef with a mass fraction of connective and adipose tissue of no more than 20% is chopped into a top with a hole diameter of 2-3 mm. The crushed raw materials are subjected to salting. The meat is mixed in mixers of various designs with the addition of salt and sodium nitrite.

The salted raw materials are kept for at least 6 hours. Soy flour is hydrated with water beforehand or directly in containers when massaging the minced ham. Massaging is carried out using any equipment known for these purposes. Next, the raw material is extruded into a shell or into povidene bags placed inside metal molds.

Thermal treatment of ham is carried out in stationary frying and cooking chambers. After heat treatment, the finished product is cooled.

Types of ham

Let's take a closer look at several popular ham options:

Boiled. To make it, pork ham, onions, carrots, roots and spices are used. The meat is kept in brine for a certain time, which allows it to achieve a homogeneous composition.

Boiled and smoked. To make this option, the ham is kept in the marinade for a short period of time. After this, it is smoked and then boiled with the addition of spices. This product has a golden crust, under which there is soft pink flesh.

"Black forest". Produced in the Black Forest, this product is raw smoked ham with a pronounced aroma. Externally, it is distinguished by the presence of a rough black-brown crust. It is obtained by smoking using spruce sawdust at elevated temperatures.

Bresaola. Produced in Italy, the product is dried beef, which is salted and left to age in the open air for 2 months, which allows it to obtain a pleasant aroma.

Turkey ham. To obtain such a product, the meat is kept in a marinade for some time, and then cooked using various spices. This product stands out for its low calorie content.

York. For this option, the ham is first dry salted, then smoked and dried. This results in a very dense ham.

Parma. This option is dry-cured and for its production they use the ham of only 3 breeds of pigs, whose weight is at least 150 kg. To obtain ham, the meat is kept in brine for 3 weeks and then kept in the open air in the mountains for a year. At this time, the weight of the ham decreases by several kilograms.

Prosciutto. To make this product, only meat and salt are used. The ham is also aged in clean mountain air.
Humon. This product is also called Iberian ham. This option is especially popular in Spain. For its production, only ham and salt are also used.

Serrano. In many ways it is similar to jamon, only it is made from a different breed of pig. This variant has a white hoof.

Parisian. For its production, only lean pork is used, which has a delicate taste.

To make ham, large pieces of meat are taken and separated from bones, fat and tendons. Then the resulting pieces are crushed into pieces that do not weigh more than 40 g. After this, they are salted and mixed. Then the resulting mass is kept for 6 months. After time, soy flour is added to the meat, which is previously diluted with water. The resulting minced meat is placed in a special casing by injection. The ham is then heat treated and cooled.

History of the origin of ham

It is somehow unusual to correlate such a pleasant dish to eat with the concept of “decrepit”. And yet, the original basis for the word “ham” is precisely this adjective.

In the past, “ham” was the name given to any meat prepared for storage for a certain period. The word with the opposite meaning was “fresh,” that is, meat that was recently slaughtered.

Over time, the understanding of the noun “ham” has changed somewhat, and now it is “smoked or salted pork”, as well as “pork ham”.

Calorie content of beef ham

The next highest calorie content is beef ham. It contains 158 kcal per 100 g of product. Just like pork, some manufacturers like to spoil beef ham by adding pieces of cheaper meat to its composition. It is imperative to study the composition of the product before eating beef ham.

Calorie content of chicken ham

The calorie content of chicken ham is significantly lower than that of pork and is approximately 150 kcal per 100 g of finished product. This is due to the fact that chicken meat is dietary. The benefits of chicken ham directly depend on its composition. Here, too, there are unscrupulous manufacturers who want to earn more and invest less. Therefore, before purchasing, you should always familiarize yourself with the composition of the product.

Turkey Ham Calories

Turkey ham contains the least calories, only 84 kcal per 100 g of product. Turkey meat is not only dietary, but also contains a large amount of minerals and vitamins that are good for health. Turkey meat can even prevent the appearance of cancer cells.

Composition of ham

Initially, ham is a sufficiently smoked and salted pork ham. Less often - meat from the shoulder blades, neck or ribs. The main components of ham are the meat itself and salt. Well, in addition, a rich mixture of fragrant spices is added to natural ham, giving it a unique aroma and making some types of ham different from others. This could be anything from a mixture of peppers to garlic and cumin.

In some cases, when smoking, the leg is sprinkled with wine or lemon essence to give it a sharp and piquant flavor. But this is at home. But the realities of domestic industrial production are very different from such accuracy

Composition of ham from the factory

In store-bought, industrial ham, the composition of additives is much more diverse. Some of them are necessary for better storage, others simply improve the appearance of the product, but most of them do not directly affect the taste.

The consumer often simply needs to know these additives “by sight” in order to navigate the quality and usefulness of the purchase in the store. Here are just the main ones.

1. Stabilizers.

Most often it is tripolyphosphate, officially registered as additive E451. In addition to stabilizing properties, it has the ability to regulate the acidity of the product. It is considered quite dangerous for health, especially for the gastrointestinal tract and bone health.

2. Preservatives.

The most commonly used is sodium nitrate, or the additive E250. It helps preserve the consistency of the ham for a longer period of time, but it is also a strong carcinogen. It is prohibited in Europe, but not in Russia and Ukraine.

In ham, polyphosphates, relatives of tripolyphosphate stabilizers, also serve as preservatives. They inhibit most chemical reactions in the meat product.

3. Thickener carrageenan, additive E407.

The most unnecessary additive in ham. It is the thickener that helps increase the volume of the product, a kind of “bloating” of it. Despite this, it has a natural origin and many positive properties. For example, it can perform antiviral and antiulcer functions and prevent the formation of cancerous tumors.

4. Flavoring additive monosodium glutamate, used to increase the intensity of the taste of the product.

Monosodium glutamate, or E621, is a truly harmful component found in ham that can cause headaches, increased heart rate, and nervous system agitation.

5. Dyes.

No, no, these are not special paints that are used to decorate the product. Food coloring makes the same ham more evenly colored, a softer pink color. The most common coloring in ham is sodium ascorbate, a slightly modified vitamin C. Doctors have not found any side effects for health with this additive, but it certainly does not make the composition of ham more natural.

6. Natural sugars.

Their presence in the ham helps give it a milder taste. In addition, all other flavorings in the presence of sugars have a more distinct taste. An example of such an additive is maltodextrin.

Such a variety of additives in a simple ham can make your head spin. But at the same time, all manufacturers are required to indicate the presence of these components in ham. And the real responsibility of buyers today is to study the composition and clearly understand that if the ham contains the same thickener, then part of the expensive product they are buying is not meat at all.

But in general, you can find good, high-quality ham today in the store. Of course, it will be more expensive than the average “chemical” one, and it will not look as exclusive. But on the other hand, it will consist of meat and spices, like real, homemade ham, which was valued by the ancient Romans and medieval nobles. So let's fill our table with quality and good food!

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

• Proteins 17.6 g
• Fats 6.2 g
• Carbohydrates - gr
• Ash 3.4 g
• Water 72.8 g
• Calorie content 280 kcal

Useful properties of ham

Ham cannot be called a healthy product, but its unique taste will make the most passionate follower of healthy food forget about it. Ham stimulates the appetite and is a filling and high-calorie dish, often decorating the holiday table.

How to choose delicious ham and store it?

Today you can find a large number of different varieties of ham, but many of them are, to put it mildly, unhealthy. To avoid falling for the bait of cunning manufacturers and buy a quality product, follow these recommendations:

• Choose ham from well-known producers, as they monitor their reputation and will not offer their consumers a bad product.
• Look on the packaging for an indication that the ham is made according to GOST 9165-59. As for the TU, these are more relaxed rules, which means that the ham will not be of such high quality and tasty. The composition should not contain any flavorings, leavening agents or other additives.
• The shell of a high-quality ham should be dry and dense, without any damage.
• Look at the cut of the ham. A quality product should have strips of fat and tendon (see photo), but there should only be a few of them. The color of a quality product should be gray-pink. Ask the seller for a small piece of ham. It shouldn't crumble in your hand. The presence of liquid droplets is a good sign. If the ham you choose is shiny, it contains preservatives.
• Don't forget to smell the ham; it should smell like meat, not smoke or any other aromas.
• An important criterion is price. Choose a product that is slightly more expensive than fresh pork shoulder.
• The shelf life of ham in a natural casing is no more than 4 days, only if it is placed in the refrigerator. If the ham is vacuum packed, the time is approximately 25 days. The product in a polyamide shell lasts up to 30 days. If you cut the ham, the storage time in the refrigerator is no more than 3 days.

Purchased ham must be wrapped in parchment paper. Foil should never be used. Ham can be stored in the freezer for six months. To do this, you should first wrap it in cellophane.

Use in cooking

Ham is an excellent independent product that can be used in other dishes. They can complement or replace regular meat, which will diversify the taste of the dish. Ham can also be the main ingredient in cold and hot dishes. Based on ham, you can prepare a large number of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, first and second courses. This product can also serve as decoration.

Harm and contraindications

The consumption of smoked and dried meat products contributes to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), American scientists have found. According to them, lovers of bacon, ham, raw smoked sausages and sausages are much more likely to suffer from chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Scientists from Columbia University analyzed data from 7,352 people whose average age was 64.5 years. All study participants answered questionnaires regarding their diet.

It turned out that people who consumed meat products 14 or more times a month developed COPD 78% more often than those who did not consume them. If meat products were present in the diet 5-13 times a month, the likelihood of developing COPD increased by 50%, said study leader Rui Jiang.

“Meat products contain high concentrations of nitrites, which are added to meat as a preservative, antimicrobial agent or color fixative. Nitrites can cause lung damage,” Jiang said.

How to do it at home?

To get delicious ham, you should cook it at home. To do this, you need to take an even piece of ham about 1.5 kg, 1 liter of water, 110 g of salt, spices: black and white pepper, a little cloves, hot pepper.

First you need to prepare the brine. To do this, add salt and spices to the water and bring to a boil. Afterwards, the liquid must be cooled and using a syringe, prick the meat on each side. For this you will need about 200 ml. This will allow the ham to be salted evenly. Take a container, put the meat in it, fill it with the remaining brine and put it in the refrigerator for 3 days. Turn the meat every day to ensure even salting. After this, the ham should be rolled up tightly and tied with twine. Take a suitable container, pour water, heat to 85 degrees and only then add the prepared meat. The heat should be reduced to a minimum and cook for 2 hours. It is important that the temperature of the liquid does not exceed 80 degrees. The finished ham must be washed with hot and then cold water. After this, put the ham in the refrigerator for a day. The shelf life of such a product is no more than 4 days.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

Nutritional value and chemical composition "Ham in Shape".

The table shows the nutritional content (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 grams of edible portion.

Nutrient	Quantity	Norm**	% of the norm in 100 g	% of the norm in 100 kcal	100% normal
Calorie content	279 kcal	1684 kcal	16.6%	5.9%	604 g
Squirrels	22.6 g	76 g	29.7%	10.6%	336 g
Fats	20.9 g	56 g	37.3%	13.4%	268 g
Water	53.5 g	2273 g	2.4%	0.9%	4249 g
Ash	3 g	~
Vitamins
Vitamin RR, NE	1.5 mg	20 mg	7.5%	2.7%	1333 g
Macronutrients
Potassium, K	400 mg	2500 mg	16%	5.7%	625 g
Calcium, Ca	22 mg	1000 mg	2.2%	0.8%	4545 g
Magnesium, Mg	35 mg	400 mg	8.8%	3.2%	1143 g
Sodium, Na	903 mg	1300 mg	69.5%	24.9%	144 g
Sera, S	226 mg	1000 mg	22.6%	8.1%	442 g
Phosphorus, Ph	268 mg	800 mg	33.5%	12%	299 g
Chlorine, Cl	1392 mg	2300 mg	60.5%	21.7%	165 g
Microelements
Iron, Fe	2.6 mg	18 mg	14.4%	5.2%	692 g
Yod, I	7 mcg	150 mcg	4.7%	1.7%	2143 g

Energy value Ham in shape is 279 kcal.

Main source: Skurikhin I.M. and others. Chemical composition of food products. .

** This table shows the average levels of vitamins and minerals for an adult. If you want to know the norms taking into account your gender, age and other factors, then use the My Healthy Diet app.

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NUTRIENT BALANCE

Most foods may not contain the full range of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is important to eat a variety of foods to meet the body's needs for vitamins and minerals.

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SHARE OF BZHU IN CALORIES

Ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:

Knowing the contribution of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to calorie content, you can understand how well a product or diet meets the standards of a healthy diet or the requirements of a certain diet. For example, the US and Russian Departments of Health recommend 10-12% of calories come from protein, 30% from fat and 58-60% from carbohydrates. The Atkins diet recommends low carbohydrate intake, although other diets focus on low fat intake.

If more energy is expended than it is received, the body begins to use up fat reserves, and body weight decreases.

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USEFUL PROPERTIES OF HAM IN FORM

Ham in shape rich in vitamins and minerals such as: potassium - 16%, phosphorus - 33.5%, chlorine - 60.5%, iron - 14.4%

What are the benefits of Ham in the form?

• Potassium is the main intracellular ion that takes part in the regulation of water, acid and electrolyte balance, participates in the processes of conducting nerve impulses and regulating pressure.
• Phosphorus takes part in many physiological processes, including energy metabolism, regulates acid-base balance, is part of phospholipids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, and is necessary for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency leads to anorexia, anemia, and rickets.
• Chlorine necessary for the formation and secretion of hydrochloric acid in the body.
• Iron is part of proteins of various functions, including enzymes. Participates in the transport of electrons and oxygen, ensures the occurrence of redox reactions and activation of peroxidation. Insufficient consumption leads to hypochromic anemia, myoglobin deficiency atony of skeletal muscles, increased fatigue, myocardiopathy, and atrophic gastritis.

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The nutritional value- content of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the product.

Nutritional value of food product- a set of properties of a food product, the presence of which satisfies the physiological needs of a person for the necessary substances and energy.

Vitamins, organic substances required in small quantities in the diet of both humans and most vertebrates. Vitamin synthesis is usually carried out by plants, not animals. A person's daily requirement for vitamins is only a few milligrams or micrograms. Unlike inorganic substances, vitamins are destroyed by strong heat. Many vitamins are unstable and are “lost” during cooking or food processing.