Editing Ham (section)

=== Dry-cured ===
[[File:ProsciuttoSeaSalt.JPG|thumb|right|Sea salt being added to raw pork leg as part of a dry cure process]]
Traditional dry cure hams may use only salt as the curative agent, although this is comparatively rare.<ref name=meat>{{cite web|url=http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/curing/methods|title=Curing Methods|publisher=Meat and Sausages.com}}</ref> This process involves cleaning the raw meat, covering it in salt while it is gradually pressed to squeeze out fluid. Specific herbs and spices may be used to add flavour during this step. The hams are then washed and hung in a dark, temperature-regulated place until dry. It is then hung to air for another period of time.

The duration of the curing process varies by the type of ham. For example, [[Jinhua ham]] takes approximately 8 to 10 months to complete,<ref name=Zhou>{{Citation|first1=G.H. |last1=Zhou |first2=G.M. |last2=Zhao |title=Biochemical changes during processing of traditional Jinhua ham |journal=Meat Science |year=2007 |pages=114–120|volume=77|issue=1 |doi=10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.03.028|pmid=22061402 }}</ref> [[Jamón#Jamón serrano|jamón serrano]] cures in 9–12 months, prosciutto di Parma takes more than 12 months, and [[Jamón ibérico|Iberian ham]] can take up to 2 years to reach the desired flavor characteristics.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=European Food Research and Technology|year=2001|volume=213|issue=2|pages=83–87|title=Dipeptidyl peptidase activities along the processing of Serrano dry-cured ham|first1=Miguel Angel|last1=Sentandreu|first2=Fidel|last2=Toldrá|doi=10.1007/s002170100355|s2cid=84654103}}</ref> Many dry-cured hams, such as [[prosciutto]], are eaten without being cooked.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Taste My Prosciutto', He Said With a Drawl (Published 2003) |author= |newspaper=New York Times |date=17 September 2003 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/17/dining/taste-my-prosciutto-he-said-with-a-drawl.html |quote=Dry-curing with salt helps prevent bacterial growth, making the hams safe to eat uncooked. ... 'prosciutto crudo' is raw, air-dried pork (although safe and ready to eat thanks to the curing process)}}</ref>

Most modern dry cure hams also use [[nitrite]]s (either [[sodium nitrite]] or [[potassium nitrite]]), which are added along with the salt. Nitrites are used because they prevent bacterial growth and, in a reaction with the meat's [[myoglobin]], give the product a desirable dark red color. The amount and mixture of salt and nitrites used have an effect on the shrinkage of the meat.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Food Science|title=Effect of salt, phosphates and other curing ingredients on shrinkage of lean pork meat and quality of smoked processed ham|first1=Eugen|last1=Wierbicki|first2=John J|last2=Howker|year=1976|volume=41|issue=5|pages=1116–1121|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.1976.tb14399.x}}</ref> Because of the toxicity of nitrite, some areas specify a maximum allowable content of nitrite in the final product. Under certain conditions, especially during cooking, nitrites in meat can react with degradation products of [[amino acid]]s, forming [[nitrosamine]]s, which are known [[carcinogen]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal
| last1 = Jakszyn | first1 = P.
| last2 = Gonzalez | first2 = C. A.
| title = Nitrosamine and related food intake and gastric and oesophageal cancer risk: A systematic review of the epidemiological evidence
| journal = World Journal of Gastroenterology
| volume = 12
| issue = 27
| pages = 4296–4303
| year = 2006
| pmid = 16865769
 | pmc=4087738
 | doi=10.3748/wjg.v12.i27.4296
| doi-access = free
}}</ref>

The dry curing of ham involves a number of [[enzyme|enzymatic]] reactions. The enzymes involved are [[proteinase]]s ([[cathepsin]]s—[[Cathepsin B|B]], [[Cathepsin D|D]], [[Cathepsin H|H]] & [[Cathepsin L1|L]], and [[calpain]]s) and [[exopeptidase]]s ([[peptidase]] and [[aminopeptidase]]).<ref name=toldra>{{cite journal|last1=Toldrá|first1=Fidel|last2=Flores|first2=Mónica|title=The Role of Muscle Proteases and Lipases in Flavor Development During the Processing of Dry-Cured Ham|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|year=1998|volume=38|issue=4|pages=351–352|doi=10.1080/10408699891274237|pmid=9626490}}</ref> These enzymes cause [[proteolysis]] of muscle tissue, which creates large numbers of small [[peptide]]s and free [[amino acid]]s, while the [[adipose]] tissue undergoes [[lipolysis]] to create free fatty acids.<ref name=toldra /> Salt and phosphates act as strong inhibitors of [[proteolysis|proteolytic activity]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Meat Science|title=Effect of curing salt and phosphate on the activity of porcine muscle proteases|year=1989|volume=24|issue=4|pages=241–249|last1=Sárraga|first1=Carmen|last2=Gil|first2=Marta|first3=Jacint|last3=Arnau|first4=Josep M|last4=Monfort|doi=10.1016/0309-1740(89)90042-9|pmid=22054673}}</ref> Animal factors influencing enzymatic activity include age, weight, and breed.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Carmen|last1=Sárraga|first2=Marta|last2=Gil|first3=José Antonio|last3=García-Regueiro|journal=Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture|title=Comparison of calpain and cathepsin (B,L and D) activities during dry-cured ham processing from heavy and large white pigs|volume=62|issue=1|pages=71–75|date=1993|doi=10.1002/jsfa.2740620110 }}</ref> During the process itself, conditions such as temperature, duration, water content, [[redox potential]], and salt content all have an effect on the meat.<ref name=toldra />

The salt content in dry-cured ham varies throughout a piece of meat, with gradients determinable through sampling and testing or non-invasively through [[X-ray computed tomography|CT scanning]].<ref>{{Cite journal|journal=Meat Science|title=Salt distribution in dry-cured ham measured by computed tomography and image analysis|last1=Vestergaard|first1=Christian|first2=Søren G|last2=Erbou|first3=Torunn|last3=Thauland|first4=Jens|last4=Adler-Nissen|first5=Per|last5=Berg|volume=69|issue=1|date=January 2005|pages=9–15|doi=10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.06.002|pmid=22062634}}</ref>