Alton Brown’s City Ham (Gingersnap Crust) - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a country ham and a city ham? ›

The difference between city and country ham comes down to how they're cured. Country hams are cured by dry-brining for several months, while city hams are wet brined for a much shorter amount of time and kept fresh thanks to the advent of refrigeration.

City hams are produced using modern moist-curing methods. The cure is injected into the ham in a brine form. The process takes much less time compared to that of country ham. The result is a moist and tender ham that is characterized by its sweet flavor.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Place ham in a roasting pan. Bake in the preheated oven, checking occasionally, about 10 hours. If ham begins to darken at that point, cover with aluminum foil.

Both ham and bacon are high in protein, but they also contain a significant amount of fat and sodium. As you can see, bacon is significantly higher in calories, fat, and sodium than ham. Ham is a better source of protein per calorie than bacon. However, bacon does contain slightly more protein per serving than ham.

Butt portion vs. shank, which do you need? The butt portion will cost more per pound and will yield the largest amount of attractive slices. The shank bone is preferred by many for cooking with beans or in making soups, and others prefer the “fully cooked” varieties for ease of preparation and cooking time.

Editor's Tip: For a fall-apart tender ham, let it cook longer; 10 to 12 hours on low. This method is perfect for families who prefer a more casual dinner of shredded hot ham and roll sandwiches.

Just like beef, chicken, or any other meat, hams can overcook, which leaves them dry and stringy. Since they're already cooked through, your only goal is to heat yours to an appropriate serving temperature.

Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

Country ham has a deep, rich and intensely salty flavor that is dry-cured over a long period. City hams are cured in a solution of salt, water, preservatives and various sweet or savory flavors and usually are smoked over hardwoods like maple or hickory for a well-rounded, smoky flavor.

In the world of cured hams, Jamón Ibérico de bellota reigns supreme. Its strict designation of origin standards, the uniqueness of the animals used, the quality, tradition, and expert hand-carving techniques make it stand above even the best Italian prosciutto.

What is grandmother ham? ›

About this product: A fully boned leg which is hand trimmed and tied with the skin left over, then smoked over german beech. A full Grandmother Ham is approximately 3 to 5kg, a half Grandmother Ham approximately 2 to 3kg.

If reheating is desired, hams that were packaged in processing plants under USDA inspection must be heated to 140°F as measured with a food thermometer. Leftover spiral-cut hams or ham that has been repackaged in any other location outside the plant, must be heated to 165°F.

However, if you want to reheat these cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325 °F and heat to an internal temperature of 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Unpackaged, cooked ham is potentially contaminated with pathogens.

Regardless of the bone, uncooked hams need to cook to 145°F for food safety. The pre-cooked hams need to heat to 140°F for adequate food safety.

Country hams are salt-cured (with or without nitrites) for one to three months. They are usually hardwood smoked (usually hickory and red oak), but some types of country ham, such as the "salt-and-pepper ham" of North Carolina, are not smoked.

City hams comprise the majority of hams made in the US. These are produced either by submerging the ham in a saltwater solution for several days or weeks until the salt penetrates deeply into the meat, or—as is more common with inexpensive hams—injecting the brine directly into the meat for much faster penetration.

Country ham is the dry- cured hind leg of a pig that harks back to the way food was preserved before mechanical refrigeration.