- Black Forest Ham. Black Forest ham has a distinctive red coloring and is marked with streaks of fat. ...
- Flavors. The name Black Forest ham does not simply refer to the meat’s area of production; it also refers to some very specific components of its flavor.
- Preparation. ...
- Traditional Coating. ...
What are the ingredients in Black Forest ham?
Subway Black Forest Ham Ingredients. Black forest ham (water added, natural smoke flavor added), Cured with: water, dextrose, 2% or less modified food starch, salt, vinegar, sodium phosphates, natural smoke flavor, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrate.
How did Black Forest ham get its name?
Black Forest ham, or Schwarzwälder Schinken in German, is a variety of dry-cured smoked ham that comes from the hind leg of a pig. It was originally produced in the Black Forest region in southwestern Germany. As of 1997, any ham labeled as Black Forest ham in the European Union (aka E.U.) has to come from the Black Forest region in Germany.
How to cure Black Forest ham?
Start Smoking
- At the three-hour mark, start your charcoal fire. ...
- Wash off all the salt under running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Make the spice rub by grinding together (I like to use an old, electric, blade coffee grinder), the whole spices, bay leaves and dried marjoram, and sprinkle over all sides ...
What does Black Forest ham mean?
What is Black Forest Ham. The original Black Forest ham is a variety of dry-cured smoked ham. It typically takes up to three months to produce from start to finish. The first step in producing this deli favorite is to salt and season the raw ham with pepper, garlic, juniper berries, coriander and other spices. The meat is given two weeks to cure, after which the salt is removed.
What makes Black Forest ham unique?
Though the ham may look bad, the black skin is actually what gives it its distinctive flavor. Once removed from cold storage, the ham is air-cured for an additional two weeks before going on the market. When it comes to meat flavorings, there are several, including maple, hickory-smoked and hardwood-smoked.
Why do they call it Black Forest ham?
Since 1997 the term "Black Forest ham" is a Protected Designation of Origin in the European Union, which means that anything sold in the EU as "Black Forest ham" must come from the Black Forest region in Germany.
What makes a Black Forest ham a Black Forest ham?
To be a true Black Forest ham it must be produced in the Black Forest of Germany. It was traditionally coated with beef blood which gave it a black exterior surface however, today the blackened exterior is most often the result of the spices applied to the outer surface and the smoking process during curing.
What does the black forest ham have?
Raw ham is salted and seasoned with garlic, coriander, pepper, juniper berries and other spices. After curing for two to three weeks, the salt is removed and the ham aged an additional two weeks.
How is Black Forest ham different from regular ham?
Black Forest ham is smoked over pine or fir and the whole process can take up to three months. It's a very moist ham and gets much of it's distinct flavor from the types of wood used in smoking. DI LUSSO® Black Forest Ham is carefully crafted and modeled after these time honored traditions.
Is Black Forest ham good for you?
Every 50 grams of processed meat (about two slices of Black Forest ham), eaten daily, increases your risk of colorectal cancer by an average of 21 percent.
What is the best ham in the world?
The Biofach organic trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany has just named the best ham in the world – and it is Spanish. The ham, made from the extremely rare Manchado de Jabugo pure breed, is farmed by Eduardo Donato, a Catalan who has lived in Huelva, southwest Spain, for 26 years.
What is the best cut of ham to get?
The shank end (or leg portion) sports that classic ham profile, so it's a good choice for a picture-perfect table. The meat tends to be leaner and it has one long bone, which makes carving easier. The butt end (the top half of the ham) has more tender, fattier meat, lending a richer flavor.
What is the healthiest ham to eat?
The healthiest is their All-Natural Uncured Ham and All-Natural Applewood Smoked Uncured Ham, which are preservative-free and made without nitrates or nitrites. They only contain 70 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 440 milligrams of sodium per serving.
Is Black Forest ham healthier than turkey?
Turkey meat is fresh meat, richer in vitamins, protein, phosphorus, copper, and magnesium. It is also higher in fat and cholesterol. In comparison, ham is richer in zinc, potassium, and iron.
Does Black Forest ham need to be cooked?
Black Forest ham is not your typical Christmas or Easter ham. It is a smoked ham that is usually cut up and served as sandwich meat. When you bring it back from the supermarket or the butcher, there is no need to cook it. However, you can heat it up in minutes to add to a hot meal.
Can you eat Black Forest ham raw?
The finished product is a dense, smoky ham with a deep, rosy color and blackened crust. The curing and smoking process makes the meat safe to eat as is, even though it is considered a raw ham.
What dies Black Forest mean?
The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald [ˈʃvaʁt͡svalt] ( listen)) is a large forested mountain range in south-west Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, bounded by the Rhine valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is the source of the Danube and Neckar rivers.
What part of the pig is Black Forest ham?
By tradition, Black Forest ham is a boneless smoked ham, which means that the chef must trim the hind leg of a pig before curing it.
Where does Black Forest cake come from?
GermanyBlack Forest gateau / Origin
Black Forest Ham
Black Forest ham has a distinctive red coloring and is marked with streaks of fat. A boneless ham, its meat is traditionally smoked when raw, giving it an instantly recognizable smoky flavor and aroma. Black Forest ham is also thoroughly cured with salt and then hung up to dry in a cool room, often in a linen bag.
Flavors
The name Black Forest ham does not simply refer to the meat’s area of production; it also refers to some very specific components of its flavor.
Preparation
Despite the strict geographical restrictions on the production of Black Forest ham, the actual pigs used to produce the ham do not necessarily come from the Black Forest. The code of the Association of Black Forest Ham states that quality of ham takes precedence over geographical origin.
Traditional Coating
Black Forest hams were traditionally coated with beef blood. This gave the ham its trademark black exterior. This practice has become less common as tradition gave way to modern market taste.
Similarities Between Hams
Both Virginia hams and Black Forest hams go through a process called dry curing. Dry cured hams come from the hind leg of a pig, and the butcher performs the curing process without injecting any water or moisture into the meat or without soaking the ham in water prior to smoking it.
Nontraditional Black Forest Hams
Rather than dry curing, a nontraditional Black Forest ham goes through a brine curing process. Brining soaks the ham in salt, sugar and water prior to the smoking process. This produces the familiar black exterior of a traditional Black Forest ham, but this nontraditional version has a different, less salty taste.
Origins of Virginia and Black Forest Hams
Virginia hams and Black Forest hams originate from two different locations. Virginia hams, a type of country ham, come specifically from the state of Virginia, while a true Black Forest ham comes from the Black Forest of Germany.
Ham Smoking Process
Virginia hams and Black Forest hams go through a different smoking process: Virginia hams are typically smoked over oak, hickory and apple wood, while traditional Black Forest hams are smoked over pine or fir. Smoking over pine and fir give the Black Forest ham a slightly more intense taste than a Virginia ham.
Exterior Skin Color
The black coating on the Black Forest ham traditionally came from beef blood, which covered the ham after its initial smoking and stained the skin black. Nowadays, however, the black exterior often results from spices applied prior to the smoking process and from the smoking process itself. The Virginia ham lacks this blackened exterior altogether.
Taste and Preparation
The standard Virginia ham has a rich, yet dry, salty taste. Most cooks prefer baking or boiling the ham. Some prefer soaking prior to baking in order to reduce saltiness. Others add a glaze, typically made of brown sugar and tropical fruit juice, to sweeten and moisten the final product.
Old-World Recipe
True Black Forest ham is produced only in the Black Forest region of Germany, called Schwarzwäld. The method for making German Black Forest ham, or schwarzwälder schinken in German, is based on century-old recipes. In order to bear the Black Forest moniker, hams must be produced in accordance with German standards.
Salt and Spice
Traditional Black Forest seasoning is a usually a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, coriander and juniper berries. Salt is the main ingredient, as it aids in the curing process and gives the ham its distinct salty, savory taste.
Dry-Curing Ham
The seasoning mixture is applied to a raw ham, which comes from the hindquarter. The hams are dry cured, meaning salt and air are all that is necessary to preserve the meat by drawing moisture from inside the ham to its surface, where it evaporates. The hams cure for one month.
Cold-Smoking Ham
Besides acting as a preserving agent, curing also intensifies the flavor of the meat. After curing, Black Forest ham is smoked to add another aspect of flavor and aroma to the meat and to produce the ham's signature black crust.
Wet-Curing Ham
Black Forest deli ham is flavored by brining, or wet curing. Hams are soaked in (or injected with) a salty, seasoned solution and finished in days rather than weeks. Although the hams are infused with seasonings, the finished ham has a milder flavor than dry-cured hams because added liquid dilutes the flavor.
How to Eat Black Forest Ham
The flavor, aroma and texture of traditional Black Forest ham are best appreciated when it is served in paper-thin slices at or near room temperature. The simplest preparation is layering shaved ham atop buttered slices of dark German bread. Black forest ham also makes a salty, smoky addition to:
Overview
Black Forest ham (German: Schwarzwälder Schinken) is a variety of dry-cured smoked ham produced in the Black Forest region of Germany.
In 1959, Hans Adler from Bonndorf pioneered manufacturing and selling Original Black Forest ham by retail and mail order. Since 1997, the term Black Forest ham has been a Protected Geographical Indication in the European Union, whic…
Preparation
Raw ham is salted and seasoned with garlic, coriander, pepper, juniper berries and other spices. After curing for two to three weeks, the salt is removed and the ham aged an additional two weeks. It is then cold-smoked using "local conifers and sawdust" at around 25 °C (77 °F) for several days. It then ripens in an air-conditioned room for several weeks, becoming almost black on the outside and acquiring much of its distinctive flavor.
Characteristics
Black Forest ham is boneless and about one-fifth fat. It has a very pronounced flavor and is common in German cuisine. It may be eaten fresh, for example on Holzofenbrot or rye bread, with fruit, or used as an ingredient in cooked dishes. Whole pieces of Black Forest ham can be preserved for months when stored properly. It is typically served at room temperature.
Related product
Black Forest bacon (German: Schwarzwälder Speck) is bacon produced the same way, and comes in two categories: Durchwachsener Speck has several layers of meat, and half of it is fat; fetter Speck is almost completely fat. Both variants include the skin, called pork rind. The pork rind is too hard to eat, but it is cooked in some traditional German dishes, such as Linsen mit Spätzle or Eintopf, to add its flavors to the food.
See also
• Prosciutto
• List of hams
• List of dried foods
• List of smoked foods
External links
• The Cooks Thesaurus - Ham
• Chow.com - Black Forest Ham