Maintaining the quality of the meat depends on proper handling both at the market and at home. When making menu plans, a good rule to follow is to allow one quarter pound per serving of boneless ham and one half pound serving of bone-in ham. This will give you a basis for comparing the price of boneless ham versus that of bone-in ham.
The boneless formed hams are easy to slice and have almost no waste. Even though the price per pound is higher, they are frequently an excellent buy. Canned hams are another meaty choice. At other times, when the bone-in hams are attractively priced, this familiar style will provide the most economical servings. When buying a butt or shank piece, be sure to ask the meatman whether or not the center ham slice has been removed. The price for a piece without the center slice should be less per pound than a ham with center slice.
Become a label reader when shopping for ham. Besides brand and price, the label should tell you whether the ham is fully cooked or cook before eating. From time to time you may find other terms on the label. For example, the amount of water in the pickling solution is regulated. A meat packer may choose to exceed this amount by up to 10 percent, but the ham must be labeled water added. If more than 10 percent water is added to the solution, the meat must then be labeled as imitation ham.
Refrigeration is needed for all hams except the very small canned ham pieces. Larger canned hams just like those in other types of wrappings should be purchased from refrigerated cases and stored in the refrigerator at home.
Whole or half hams should be used within seven days, ham slices within three. Canned hams can usually be stored for several months in the refrigerator without a loss in their eating quality as long as the can has never been opened.
Freezing longer than one month is not recommended for cured and smoked meats because quality deteriorates during long storage at freezer temperatures.
Since the majority of hams are fully cooked, serving them hot is a matter of heating rather than cooking in the usual manner. Nevertheless, the basic techniques of roasting, broiling, and panfrying still apply. You will, however, find that the term baking is generally used instead of the word roasting. Should you purchase a cook before eating ham, the same directions apply, only the length of cooking time needed increases. The exceptions to this are the dry cured hams.
Because of the type of curing and the long aging, these hams must be scrubbed and simmered several hours before being skinned and baked. Most processors of these specialty hams pack instructions with the ham or print them on the packaging wrapper.
