foodperson.com

If it’s Easter, which it is tomorrow, it must be time for ham and lamb. Ham, though, as with most cured meat products, is viewed with suspicion by many people because of the nitrates and nitrites typically used in its curing. (If I understand correctly, these substances can turn into nitrosamines in your body, which can cause cancer.) If you’re concerned about nitrites this article might explain it to you. To a large extent, I think the nitrite fears get down to whether you’re more afraid of being sickened now from pathogens or being sickened later with cancer. I figure if I’m not eating them often, which I’m not, I’m not going to worry about nitrites causing me to get cancer.

I am, however, very interested in what it tastes like, and I’m here to tell you that you can have the inexpensive “ham and water product” It isn’t worth the supposed savings you get with it. The ham and water stuff, besides causing you to pay for a bunch of water that will cook out anyway, has an unpleasant (to my palate) texture that’s almost slick. I’m sticking with hams labeled country ham, ham or ham in natural juices.

Maybe you never noticed the labeling differences. Hormel (which has a remarkably comprehensive and informative website for all kinds of food, by the way) explains the difference among the various ham types and gives suggestions for preparing them and carving them.

Me? I’m going to be baking a hickory-smoked shank-end (easier for carving) ham in natural juices. I think I’ll experiment with a glaze of gooseberry jam and mustard. (I’ll let you know how it turns out.)

I didn’t notice where the other hams came from, but the bone-in ham that I bought is from Frick’s Quality Meats in Washington, Missouri, about 250 miles away. Not exactly local, but certainly regional.