Ham is meat from the hind leg of a pig. It may be sold fresh as a pork leg roast or preserved by curing, smoking, cooking or drying. The word is used differently across markets: in some countries it usually refers to a cured and cooked product, while in others it can describe a dry-cured, ready-to-eat ham or the raw leg cut itself. The product label and processing specification should always be checked.
Ham may be fabricated into inside, outside, knuckle and shank portions, depending on the butchery system. In British terminology, gammon traditionally refers to cured pork leg sold uncooked; once cooked, it is generally called ham. In French, jambon frais is fresh leg, jambon cuit is cooked ham and jambon cru is dry-cured ham.
Fresh ham can be roasted or braised. Cooked ham is sliced for sandwiches, salads and composed dishes. Dry-cured ham is usually sliced thinly and served as charcuterie or used as a finishing ingredient.
Chef’s tip: confirm whether the ham is raw, cured, cooked or ready to eat before planning service. These categories have different cooking, storage and food-safety requirements.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
