Ham

Ham is one of the oldest and most universal forms of preserved meat — pork from the hind leg that has been cured with salt, and sometimes smoked, aged, or cooked. In Australia, ham is a fixture of Christmas tables, sandwich shops, and charcuterie boards alike.

The term covers a wide range of products, from the mild, pink sliced ham found in every supermarket deli to bone-in leg hams cured and smoked by artisan producers. Wet-cured (brined) ham tends to be milder and moister, while dry-cured ham has a more concentrated, complex flavour. Smoked varieties add another layer of depth.

Ham is enormously versatile in the kitchen — sliced for sandwiches, diced into pasta and quiches, glazed and roasted whole for celebrations, or used as a flavour base in soups and stocks. A ham bone simmered in split pea soup is one of the great thrifty kitchen traditions.