Internal Temp for Fresh Cured Ham???

[HOOSIERDUDE]

I raise a couple hogs for my family every year. I do all of it myself, butcher, cure hams/bacon, etc. Im planning on opening a small meat locker in the next few years and I gotta get this recipe nailed. Most of the interwebs says a fresh cured ham should be cooked to 160F, which I find results in a drier product, compared to a good commercial ham. I think my cure recipe is good, the time in cure is right. The pigs are fatty as hell. Why couldn't I pull it at 145F like pork chops?

 

[thirdeye]

I think the ham terminology might be confusing. You can have either a fresh ham, or a cured ham. The term "fresh" refers to un-cured. Next up is a ready-to-eat ham, and a ready-to-cook ham. Then there is a city ham, and a country ham.

But here is a USDA link, sort of a Ham 101, that has all the cooking and reheating instructions.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/hams-and-food-safety