Gammon confusion

[cdn offroader]

Looking for some help from our cousins across the pond. An expat UK'er over here wants some gammon. It looks like, after extensive research online, that it is a cured, cold-smoked pig leg.....how is this different than ham?

I talked it over with my friend and they insist it is different. Need some help here.

 

[daveomak]

www.bbc.co.uk/food/gammon


Gammon is the name given to the meat from the hind legs of a pig that has been cured in the same way as bacon. The main difference between gammon and ham is that gammon will be sold raw and needs to be cooked; ham is sold cooked or dry-cured and ready for eating.

 

[cdn offroader]

Yeah, same stuff I came up with Dave. Was thinking there must be some other steps being missed. "Cured the same as bacon" doesn't mean much, as we know it can be done a number of ways. Saw some posts saying it was cured still attached to the bacon and then seperated after curing, so maybe its a shorter curing time? rather than the 30ish days we would cure a ham here. The recipes I've found look like a ham cure to me done for less time. salt to sagar ratio about 2:1 plus curing agent(many called for saltpeter, would use cure#1) and cured for 14 days using an injection/dry rub combination.

So after all this, it still seems to be a cold smoked ham.., aka becomes ham once cooked

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I don't have anything else to add as everything discussed so far is what I know too. I am interested in hearing anything new and would live to see this project!


I'd be tempted to go to the following blog and and PM the owner. He's seems to have a good handle on curing.

http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/?m=0