A succulent pink slab of ham is delicious at any meal. Sizzled up next to your eggs for breakfast, tucked between slices of moist whole wheat bread slathered with deli mustard, or, most tantalizing of all, languishing on your best silver platter as the centerpiece of a special occasion feast. With such wide selection available to you in the grocery store, choosing one can be a daunting task. The one you are most likely to encounter in the grocery store is city ham. These have been soaked in brine and then either smoked or boiled.
City hams are moist and tender.
Their flavor ranges from mild and salty to rich and smoky, depending on how they have been cooked. Country-cured hams are made from pigs that have been fed fruits and nuts to produce more flavorful meat. The hams are dry-cured by packing them in salt, then they are smoked over a bed of fragrant hardwoods and hung in a cool place to be aged for at least 60 days, although some are aged up to 7 years. Country-cured hams have a more intense flavor, but are drier than brined hams, since the longer they are aged, the more water evaporates from the tissue. Rarely will you encounter a fresh ham.