# Pork is preserved by making it into ham. Why aren't other kinds of meats preserved in that same way? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 3, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637 "2022-10-03T14:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/21 "2022-10-03T17:34:23Z")
Apart from newer things which use lots of tasty spices, salt beef and salt fish are a thing. Salt fish is still a staple of regional French cooking. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/22 "2022-10-03T17:38:44Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > If I was a European preparing for winter, I would suspect I would prepare all my meats this way regardless of which animal they came from. Cows, goats and sheep can go on feeding you with milk, but pigs not converted into meat are useless. This makes them the obvious choice if you’re going to slaughter _some_ animals if you only have enough fodder for a limited amount. So techniques for preserving pork will be more common (but - see rest of thread for all the techniques for other animals) ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/23 "2022-10-03T17:41:41Z")
And pigs were breed and raised in spring and summer, and killed in autumn. They were processed in sausage, black pudding, ham and chops… Bovids were mostly used to get milk and for labor, goats for milk, sheeps for wool and milk and weren’t raised uniquely for meat as pigs were. So less use of a method for conservation. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/24 "2022-10-03T17:49:07Z")
That makes sense. If pigs were generally slaughtered before winter, that explains a lot about why hams would be more common. If pork was the majority of the meat being preserved over winter, then there would be lots of people doing it, perfecting the technique, optimizing the flavor, etc. Even if the same technique can be done with other meats, it would be rarer if those animals were generally kept alive over the winter. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/25 "2022-10-03T18:44:33Z")
One traditional Norwegian “ham” is cured leg of lamb: [Fenalår - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenal%C3%A5r) Cured lamb racks are the basis for one of the most widespread Christmas eve dinner dishes in Norway, “stick meat”. > **[Pinnekjøtt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnekj%C3%B8tt)** > > Pinnekjøtt (Norwegian pronunciation: \[ˈpɪ̂nːəˌçœt\]) is a traditional Norwegian main course dinner dish based on lamb ribs. Pinnekjøtt is a festive dish typical to Western and Northern Norway, and is rapidly gaining popularity in other regions as well.\[citation needed\] This dish is largely associated with the celebration of Christmas and frequently paired with puréed rutabaga, sausages and potatoes, served with beer and akevitt. > The preparation of pinnekjøtt uses a traditional method for food pre... ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/26 "2022-10-03T18:54:39Z")
Someone did it wrong if it tasted like ham. Generally it tastes like turkey… that’s been smoked. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/27 "2022-10-03T19:44:54Z")
One of the factors in your observation is the extremely limited palate of most Americans, and hence American supermarket offerings. All kinds of meats are preserved, they just have a limited distribution in the US. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/28 "2022-10-03T19:57:34Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > One of the factors in your observation is the extremely limited palate of most Americans, and hence American supermarket offerings. Don’t forget different cultural assumptions! I’m from Jewish household, and growing up, had all sorts of preserved non-pork meats: pastrami, corned beef, smoked whitefish, gefilte fish (shudder), salami (beef), and the like, but never once had/saw fresh or cured ham. Bacon on the other hand . . . well, my father was reform, and I’m almost entirely secular, but while we all had and liked beef baken, it was hard to get the US southwest, so… a little bit of cheating. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/29 "2022-10-03T19:59:35Z")
They probably brined it with something like Morton Tender Quick or another salt+ sodium nitrate and nitrite mixture. That can leave the turkey a bit pink in color and ham tasting after smoking and fully cooked. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/30 "2022-10-03T20:34:47Z")
Yes, but if Americans have a palate for anything, it’s beef. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/31 "2022-10-03T20:39:17Z")
now that refrigeration and freezing is cheap and widespread, I suspect the ubiquity of ham in the US, as compared to corned beef, smoked salmon, and pickled herring, has a lot to do with what Americans like to eat. So they tend to eat their (beef) brisket fresh, but their (pork) ham preserved. But I suppose there was more motive to keep feeding the chickens and cows over the winter, than to feed the pigs, who could be turned into easy-to-keep meat, instead. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/32 "2022-10-03T20:55:43Z")
I imagine you’re right. The nitrite is what gives ham that “ham” flavor, as opposed to tasting like pork or smoked pork. I don’t see why turkey cured and smoked in a similar fashion wouldn’t taste at least somewhat like ham. But that’s not the typical way of doing it- you might brine the turkey, but that doesn’t cure it. And then you smoke it- typically not as long or as heavily as you would say… a brisket. [Greenberg Smoked Turkeys](https://gobblegobble.com/view/home) would disagree, but they’re definitely outliers on the amount of smoke they put on their turkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/33 "2022-10-03T20:56:14Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > So they tend to eat their (beef) brisket fresh, but their (pork) ham preserved. This might be the key. I know that generally speaking I find pork to be quite bland in dishes such as pulled pork. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/34 "2022-10-03T21:12:33Z")
John Buchan’s books, from the early 1900s, mention Scots hams that aren’t pork. One is “mutton ham”, which apparently wasn’t mass produced; the book, _Huntingtower_ (1922) says “a mutton ham, which you can’t get for love or money in Glasgow” And Richard Hannay, the hero of _The Thirty-Nine Steps_, wanders through Scotland again in _Mr. Standfast_ (1919), and on the Isle of Skye eats “braxy ham” in a shepherd’s hut. “Braxy is the flesh of sheep which have died a natural death, by flood, drift, or disease”, according to this page, [braxie ham | WordReference Forums](https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/braxie-ham.1082751/) The latest figures show over 6 million sheep in Scotland vs 340K pigs [Livestock - Results from the Scottish Agricultural Census: June 2021 - gov.scot](https://www.gov.scot/publications/results-scottish-agricultural-census-june-2021/pages/3/) Links to the Buchan books here: [Search: fadedpage.com](https://www.fadedpage.com/csearch.php?author=Buchan,%20John) ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/35 "2022-10-03T22:33:20Z")
I was thinking of lutefisk, the Norwegian preserved fish, and wondered why they used lye instead of just salting the fish. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk?wprov=sfla1) that area of the world lacked good supplies of salt, hence the lye (and the odor, oh! the smell!) It’s getting to be the season for churches to host lutefisk dinners here in Minnesota; we don’t partake. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/36 "2022-10-03T22:40:32Z")
I’ve heard that the people who find lutefisk palatable drench it in butter - lots and lots of butter. What about duck confit, which uses the duck’s own fat to preserve it? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/37 "2022-10-03T22:42:54Z")
You do the same thing with lard, preserving pork in fat. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/38 "2022-10-03T22:46:42Z")
Same thing with tallow, and beef? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/39 "2022-10-03T22:52:35Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > duck confit I love that! Easy to make at home too! It does not preserve well, not in my household: I eat it on the spot, no matter how much I make. ---
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637/40 "2022-10-03T23:21:39Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I’ve heard that the people who find lutefisk palatable drench it in butter - lots and lots of butter. My inlaws are Norwegian. Lutefisk is a Christmas tradition. It’s like eating fish flavored jello that has bones in it. Drenched in a butter “gravy” that’s mostly butter, a bit of heavy cream, heavily salted and peppered. Without the gravy lutefisk doesn’t have much taste but it certainly smells the place up for days. I find it tolerable so I eat enough to be polite. Fortunately they always serve ham so I just fill up on that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-is-preserved-by-making-it-into-ham-why-arent-other-kinds-of-meats-preserved-in-that-same-way/972637.md?page=3)