Meat Science

PREPARATION OF HAM

• Ham is the cured and smoked leg of pigs.
• It is a ready to eat delicious meat food product.

Ham slices

Removal of ham from the pig carcass

• The leg portions of healthy pigs are collected for the preparation of ham.
• The legs are removed from the pig carcass by sawing through a line at right angles to the hind shank at a point about three fingers width in front of aitch bone or in between 2nd and 3rd.sacral vertebra.
• The legs are then trimmed and debunked.

Curing

• The next step in the preparation of ham is curing.
• Curing is the process of application of curing ingredients namely salt, sugar and salt petre to the meat.
• For curing ham the curing ingredients are mixed in the ratio of 8 lbs: 3 lbs: 3 ounces (8:3:3) of salt, sugar and salt petre respectively for every 100 lbs of leg.
• The curing ingredients are mixed thoroughly and divided into two equal portions.
• The first portion of the cure is applied on the sides, flesh and skin of the legs.
• After rubbing the legs are stored in a refrigerator at 5 to 7° C.
• After 24 hours the second portion of the cure is applied similarly on the semi cured legs.
• The curing is further continued at refrigeration temperature.

Curing time

• After the application of the cure, the legs are stored in the refrigerator at 5 to 7°C with a relative humidity of 80 to 90% at the rate of 2 days per Kg of meat.
• The legs are placed skin side down during the period of curing. At the end of curing, the legs are soaked in warm water (40°C) for 2 hours to remove the excess salt.
• The surface salt is removed by thorough scrubbing of the edges and the skin surface of the legs.

Smoking

• Smoking is the process of applying wood smoke over the cured meat. The cured ham is smoked in a smoking chamber.
• The cured legs are first dried for two hours under a fan.
• The ham is stitched to shape and slipped into a stockinette.
• A ham hanger is inserted into the shank and the cured legs are smoked for 24 hours at 65 to 70° C in the smoking chamber.
• Saw dust of wood of any hard wood tree is used for smoking.
• The smoked ham is left in the smoking chamber for a further period of 12 hours to cool, shape and age.
• The cured and smoked ham is finally transferred into a refrigerator and retained for further aging.
• The ham thus prepared, is sliced and served as such or after frying.