Handbook of Meat Processing

Dry-Cured Ham 357

More recently, hams have been distributed as

boned pieces, where the bones have been

excised and removed and the piece com-

pressed in molds. Boned hams can be sliced

at the retailer shop or directly by consumers

at home. The commercial distribution, which

is growing very rapidly in the market, con-

sists of slices packaged under vacuum or

modifi ed atmosphere (Toldr á et al. 2004 ).

Quality of the Product

Color

The typical bright red cured color is due to

the formation of nitrosomyoglobin, which is

generated by the reaction of nitric oxide with

myoglobin. Of course, the intensity of color

increases with the concentration of myoglo-

bin, which is larger in muscles with an oxida-

tive pattern (Aristoy and Toldr á 1998 ), and

also tends to be larger in muscles from older

animals (Rosell and Toldr á 1998 ). Those

hams without added nitrate or nitrite present

a pinky - red color, which is assumed to be due

to a Zn protoporphyrin IX complex that con-

stitutes a major chromophore in dry - cured

ham (Moller et al., 2007 ). The polymeriza-

tion of this pigment is suggested to be due

probe to the bones ’ junction and then a rapid
sniffi ng detects the fl avor or any off - fl avor
inside the ham (Parolari 1996 ).

Extended Ripening

In some cases, as in the case of Iberian hams,
hams are submitted to ripening cellars at mild
temperatures for long periods of time, up to
24 months at temperatures 10 – 20 ° C and rela-
tive humidity of 65% to 82% (Est é vez et al.
2007 ). This long ripening time allows the
development of exquisite and intense fl avors
generated through further chemical and enzy-
matic reactions. The proteolysis phenomena
is very intense and large amounts of free
amino acids are generated; in most cases,
tyrosine crystals, which are quite insoluble,
may be observed as white spots on the cut
surface. These crystals, as well as typical
marbling, can be observed in Figure 20.5
where a cut section of dry - cured ham is
shown.

Final Product

Hams may be commercialized in several
ways. The traditional distribution was as an
entire piece (including the bone and foot).

Figure 20.5. Cut section of dry - cured ham. Tyrosine crystals can be observed as a small white spots.