Food - Drink
Ham Vs Pork: What's The Difference?
By CATHERINE WOMACK
"Ham" and "pork" both refer to the meat of the domesticated pig, but you may not know exactly what makes ham a ham. Pork refers to any pig meat, which typically comes from hogs between six months and one year old, and can be sold raw, cured, or processed into sausages or other products, while ham refers to meat from the rear leg of the hog.
While many products are sold as “ham,” some are not made from actual hams, including cured pork shoulders sold as "shoulder ham" or "picnic ham," or “turkey ham,” which is turkey meat cured to taste like ham. To be labeled "ham" by the USDA, a product must be a leg of pork that is usually cured with salt, brine, sodium nitrate, or other seasonings.
There are also many differences between specific hams. Cured hams are often pre-cooked, some are smoked to add flavor and further preserve the meat, and most can be eaten straight from the package, but there are also "fresh" hams, or hams that have not gone through the curing process, and need to be cooked before serving.