On Jul 11, 11:03�am, Steve Wertz > wrote:
> On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:21:29 -0700, Sheldon wrote:
> > Actually you're speaking of "city ham"... there is just as much a span
> > of quality with city hams as with country hams.... and on average city
> > hams are less processed; they're typically substantially lower in fat
> > and contain less salt/preservatives. *Price is a good indicator of ham
> > quality... those bone-in stupidmarket hams you typically see on sale
> > (spiral cut and not) for like a buck and a half a pound are garbage...
> > and don't think for one minute those aren't molded either. *Quality
> > city ham is expensive ($7-$10/lb) and make for fine eating... even the
> > canned versions can be superb quality; you don't usually find those in
> > stupidmarkets because they are so costly (fine butcher shops carry
> > those), you need to buy the full can and will cost anywhere from $20-
> > $40 for a three pounder. *The very same meat packers (Hormel, Morrel,
> > etc.) that offer the cheap canned hams offer the expensive ones too.
>
> What are you babbling about now? *Show me an example of this
> $10-15/lb canned or city hams that are processed so differently
> that they cost 5x as much as common wet cured whole/half hams.

Check out Hormel Black Label, those run about $8-$10/lb., not easy to
find at local retail stores. Hormel Cure 81 is expensive too, been
awhile since I bought it so can't say now. Boar's Head ham is
essentially canned ham packaged in plastic (in fact most canned ham
these days is in a plastic can, only the lid is metal), delis
typically sell BH ham for about $8/lb, and BH claims their ham is not
made from pieces. Even Spam costs more than $3/lb. LOL

And btw, most hams sold in the US are indeed injected with cure.

Sheldon