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Baked ham – a traditional dish of Slavic cuisine. The first written records of this popular dish in Russia refer us to the XVI century. Then for its preparation used pork, lamb, and residents of the northern neighborhood – bear meat. Meanwhile, the classic is considered to be a baked ham from a piece of baked pork.
What is pork?
Simply put, baked ham is a piece of baked meat. But what does this name mean and how does a dish differ from other types of meat products?
Boiled pork, as already mentioned, is a dish with a long history. It is believed that it was invented by the Eastern Slavic tribes living in the upper reaches of the Western Bug River. Nestor the Chronicler claimed that these people had no problems with food, in particular, they always had plenty of meat (especially boar). And one of the most common foods among bouzhanas was salted or smoked pork. It is believed that local culinary specialists created real masterpieces from meat, but they turned out to be especially tasty baked. So the characteristic name – boiled pork – was fixed to the favorite dish of bougain.
True, there is another version of the origin of this name. According to a different theory, this meat product was formerly called the “uzhuzhenina” (from the Old Slavonic word “wood” – smoke, dry). Over time, the name transformed into a more familiar to us “pork”.
Which of these versions is true, let historians and philologists argue. Meanwhile, gourmets enjoy tender and juicy meat. Moreover, the Austrians, Canadians, British (though they bake mostly unspoiled beef) and Balkans (bake pork with skin) have something similar to Slavic boiled pork.
How to cook in ancient times
Ancient Slavic culinary specialists prepared baked ham from a pork leg without bone. But there must have been a little lard on the piece, which added juiciness to the finished dish. The pork leg was rubbed with a mixture of spices and salt, stuffed with garlic and bacon, and then baked, not forgetting to water the meat with the resulting juice. And since then, the method of cooking boiled pork has not changed much. Rather, the meat and the spices used have changed. And instead of stoves and fires, smarter devices appeared.
What is being prepared now
Classic pork is, of course, the back of a carcass, ham or pork neck. Less often, baking the crown is taken for baking, but in this case the dish turns out to be rather dry. And a mandatory requirement: meat for the correct pork must have greasy streaks.
True, some prefer more lean versions of dishes – from beef or veal. But in this case, in order to avoid overdrying, meat is covered with lard (it is better to take small slices), and also skewered with garlic and pork fat. But the technology of roasting pork and veal baked ham is almost the same. Grilled veal is first fried on high heat until a crust forms (this will prevent moisture loss), and only then bake.
Another version of baked delicacy is lamb or bear meat. But choosing these products for cooking, it will be useful to pre-marinate the meat (the marinade will remove the specific smell and improve the structure). As a marinade for bear cubs, acidified water is usually taken, and the prepared piece is baked with juniper. To improve the taste of lamb, kefir marinade is suitable, and instead of the traditional garlic-greasy “filling” it is better to take pine nuts, feta cheese and basil.
Poultry lovers have come up with their own dietary version of pork – from turkey or chicken. But connoisseurs of red meat refuse to recognize such a dish as pork.
Nutritional value and beneficial properties
The classic version of pork is an excellent source of magnesium, zinc, lysine, selenium, vitamin B12 and other useful components. And this means that baked meat can serve not only as a high-energy food (calorie content per 100 g – within 500 kcal), but also as a medicine. For example, nutritionists say that in moderation, baked pork activates the production of hormones important for life, relieves bad mood, strengthens bones and even increases potency. Of course, it will probably not be possible to achieve such results with a single meal, but with the regular appearance of pork on the dining table, you can count on positive changes in your health condition.
But lovers of veal (beef) boiled pork should not despair. Beef meat is not inferior to pork in terms of the content of useful components, and even retains its leadership in some indicators. A slice of baked stuffed veal is a whole range of vitamins and minerals on a plate: vitamins A, C, E, group B, as well as an impressive content of copper, iron, potassium, iodine, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and sodium. By the way, this more dietary version of the dish is recommended for children, people with indigestion, the elderly, as well as hypertensive and diabetics.
Well, the most “easy” version of the product is from turkey or chicken. In this case, the “output” is pure protein, without harmful fats and with reduced calorie content.
However, in any case, baked ham is the safest product from processed meat. As even purchased it does not contain “chemistry” and is prepared in a useful way.
Danger of boiled pork
The tastier the dish, the more difficult it is to stay “within the framework” that nutritionists outline as “do not abuse”. And boiled pork is one of the first dishes on this list. Given the rather high calorie content of meat, it should appear in small portions and infrequently in the diet of people with obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. This warning primarily applies to the classic version – from fatty pork.
But it is also unsafe to abuse abraded beef. The purines that make up this type of meat increase the level of uric acid, and this can already be dangerous for people with osteochondrosis or gout. By the way, nutritionists advise in one sitting to use no more than 70 g of the product.
Well, the most important danger boiled parasites and bacteria. The first danger is possible if the meat was not fully baked. The second is if it is stored at the wrong temperature or its shelf life has expired.
How to choose the ready baked ham
Of course, the best boiled pork is a boiled pork, cooked on its own from a selected piece of meat. But the modern rhythm of life does not always allow you to spend a few hours on cooking. In such cases, the supermarket saves. But going to the store for baked meat, it is important to know how to choose the right baked ham.
1 Board. To begin to significantly pay attention to the packaging. It can be vacuum or from the usual food film. We note immediately that if there is no 100-percent confidence in the high quality of the product, it is better to refuse boiled pork in the food film. On such a product, as a rule, there are no indications of the shelf life, composition, manufacturer. But it is also better not to take the vacuum option, if this information is missing on it. The second requirement for vacuum packaging is no damage.
2 Board. Now it’s time to pay attention to the color of the meat. It should be from light pink to light gray. Any color deviations indicate violations of the preparation technique or the old age of the product.
3 Board. Fat is an important element of the finished dish, but the fat layer should not exceed 3, see. It is also important to assess the color of the fat – it should not be yellow.
4 Board. A fresh product is a piece of regular oval or round shape.
5 Board. An important “test” – the composition of baked ham. The list of ingredients should not be anything other than meat, salt, spices and garlic. Any “E” indicate that the product is far from natural. Best of all, if the package indicates that the product is made according to GOST.
6 Board. You can check the quality of the meat with boiling water. If a slice breaks up in water into fibers – the product is stale.
How long can be stored
A tasty home-made boiled pork will probably not linger long in the refrigerator. But still, if there is a need, the finished meat can be stored in the freezer for about 30 days. In the refrigerator (in a film or pan), home baked ham can last no more than 5 days, and purchased in a vacuum film – no more than 21 of the day.
Recipe for the correct cold boiled pork
Today it is hard to say which pork recipe is correct. After all, there are probably as many cooking options for this dish as there are chefs who cook it. Some prefer to pickle “raw” in mayonnaise, vegetable oil, honey or mustard. Others keep the product in salt or tomato-salt mixture. Still others only roll in salted meat in a mixture of salt, pepper and spicy herbs. There are options for sauces based on mint, dry wine or beer. And each cook considers his recipe to be the most correct, and the meat according to it is more delicious than others.
But no matter what they do with the fillet before cooking, the baking rules are the same for everyone. The first and most important thing is not to overdry the boiled pork. Therefore, the dish is cooked for a long time (in terms of 60 minutes for each kilogram of meat), in foil or cast-iron form (to preserve juices). Another general recommendation: it is better to cook the dish a few days before the holiday – the aged baked piece will be more juicy and tasty.
Cooking boiled pork. Walkthrough:
- Rinse a piece of meat with cold water, pat it with a paper towel.
- Marinate in spices, leave for 12 hours.
- Use a sharp knife to make cuts in the meat, put a slice of garlic in each pocket and at the request of bacon.
- Wrap in foil, tightly wrapping meat. Put on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron mold, pour a little water on the bottom. Bake until done (according to the technology, the meat will have to be “toasted” for at least one hour)
- It is better if the meat will cool slowly in its own juice.
Variations on pudding
Pork with ginger
For this recipe you will need pork meat, and to add taste – garlic, pepper, ginger, mustard, salt and bay leaf. Grate the fillet with salt and pepper, make in a piece of “pocket” in which to put half a clove of garlic and a slice of bay leaf. Marinade made from chopped garlic and ginger, mustard and salt. Grate the meat with the mixture and leave in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Serve in portions with olives and lettuce.
Beef with carrots
According to this recipe, boiled pork is not only tasty, but also beautiful. Grate a piece of beef with salt and pepper. In several places make cuts in which to enclose circles of raw carrots and garlic. At night, leave the meat in the marinade of vinegar, water, crushed ginger, coriander, rosemary, saffron, salt. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.
Calf tender
Rub a piece of veal with salt and chopped ginger, put pitted prunes in the “pockets”. For the marinade, mix the lemon and cherry juice, steam, add chopped ginger, salt, saffron to the mixture. Marinate meat for at least 12 hours. Serve the finished chilled product in slices with cranberry sauce.
From turkey to wine
Marinate turkey fillet for the night in a mixture of white wine (pre-heated a little), coriander, rosemary, sage, salt. Bake in the sleeve or tightly wrapped with foil. It goes well with a salad of fresh vegetables.
Baked ham is a useful alternative to grilled meat. It is suitable as a festive meal or nutritious snack. And if instead of traditional pork to use meat of a turkey, you get an excellent dietary dish. Useful properties of a delicacy directly depend on the type of meat selected as raw material. But in any case, baked ham is an excellent source of proteins, sodium, B vitamins and other components important for health.