I understand how boiling and baking ham will kill germs and trichinosis parasites with heat, but how do the other methods of preservation kill germs and parasites?
Does the smoke heat it enough to count as baking? Or do the smoke particles give the germs emphysema? And what about those trichinae?
And salt cured, how does it affect the center part of the cut?
And how is cooked ham done if it isn’t baked or boiled? Not in an oven, not in a pot … so how exactly?
Smoke has antiseptic chemical properties; this retards spoilage; during the extended period that the product will now remain good, it can dehydrate, further reducing the likelihood that micro organisms will find it a nice place to live.
Curing with salt does a similar sort of thing; the salt creates an environment hostile to micro organisms, but also actively dehydrates the product.
The centre part of the cut is quite likely to be free from micro organisms, as well as being relatively anaerobic, limiting the capacity for most bugs to thrive there (although some, notably botulism, require anaerobic conditions, but not salty, dehydrated anaerobic conditions).
With respect to chemical curing, which can be done with salts or sugar, the curing agent creates a hypertonic environment. The concentration gradient is then such that, through osmosis, water is “drawn” out of microorganisms that would otherwise thrive on the meat. This is the same reason that jam, jelly, and other preserves don’t need refrigeration.
In regards to cooking, country style hams are first soaked in several changes of water (over one or more days) and then generally boiled. They can also be sliced and pan fried. Even after soaking they are quite salty and something of an aquired taste.