Sqwertz wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> > Sqwertz wrote:
>
> >> That because all the boneless hams were boned before being cured
> >> and smoked).
>
> > That's not true. �Hams are boned after they're cured and smoked.
>
> Maybe *you* bone them after they're cooked (pervert), but this is
> not how the major ham manufacturers do it. �It is boned, formed
> and cased before curing and cooking.

You haven't a clue, you just make things up as you go along getting
high on drugs. Hams are cured and smoked intact on the bone. Even
those made into formed hams are cured and smoked on the bone and then
boned and compressed afterwards, albeit it's very doubtful that those
are made from ham, at least not 100pct ham... without the bone no one
can say for sure it's ham. And it's more difficult/time consuming to
remove the bone from fresh ham, more waste too. Those so-called hams
made with mechanically picked meat even though they may not be ham
were still cured and smoked on the bone, then mechanically picked...
why would they need to pick it otherwise. Look at the hams at any
stupidmarket, they are all on the bone, even spiral cut, even ham
steaks... I've never seen a boned ham sold at any market, fresh or
cured, you always need to ask the buther to bone it or bone it
yourself at home. It's just not practical to cure and smoke a pile
of chunks and shreds... and raw pork won't mold with gelatin, and even
if it did, under pressure it would be too dense to properly cure and
smoke and certainly not all gelatinized. And the cured and smoked
pork products, are not ham, all those are scraps of pork, even Spam
ain't ham. If it's ham it's cured and smoked on the bone. There do
exist some specialty hams that are cured off the bone and then pressed
to complete the curing and drying process but those are not smoked...
prosciutto is one, but even then there are different types and it's
obvious it's whole ham as averse to compressed chunks. I don't
consider prosciutto ham in the typical sense so much as it's a
condiment. Prosciutto is savored more for it's texture than taste,
it really hasn't much taste, it's more about all that silky fat.
People don't build a prosciutto and swiss on rye. And prosciutto is
definitely not in the same price range as typical ham, it epitomizes
speciallty ham, it's not eaten like typical ham, it's consumed more
like caviar.

prosciutto [proh-SHOO-toh]
The Italian word for "ham," prosciutto is a term broadly used to
describe a ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured (but not smoked) and
air-dried. The meat is pressed, which produces a firm, dense texture.
Italy's PARMA HAM is the true prosciutto, although others are also now
made in the United States. Italian prosciuttos are designated
prosciutto cotto, which is cooked, and prosciutto crudo, which is raw
(though, because of its curing, ready to eat). This type of Italian
ham is also labeled according to its city or region of origin, for
example prosciutto di Parma and prosciutto di San Daniele. Prosciutto
is available in gourmet and Italian markets and some supermarkets.
It's usually sold in transparently thin slices. Prosciutto is best
eaten as is and is a classic first course when served with melon or
figs. It can also be added at the last minute to cooked foods such as
pastas or vegetables. Prolonged cooking will toughen it.

� Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on TH