By Stephanie Schupska
University of
Georgia
Loading down the dining room table is a holiday tradition in
itself. And while turkeys still gobble up most of the meat
space, ham is starting to get a little more attention and more
room on the platter.
Whether bone-in and spiral cut or boneless and ready for
slicing, this well-known Easter treat can enhance any holiday
meal without too much worry over nutritional value.
“Pork, like turkey, is considered to be a lean meat,” said Judy
Harrison, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension foods
specialist. “Pork is about 30 percent leaner today than it was
years ago.”
For example, Harrison says a three-ounce portion of fresh ham,
lean only, roasted has approximately 179 calories, eight grams
of fat and 25 grams of protein. In comparison, a three-ounce
portion of turkey (dark meat) has 156 calories, six grams of
fat and 24 grams of protein. A similar size portion of white
meat turkey has about 132 calories, three grams of fat and 25
grams of protein.
Tenderloins are the leanest cut of pork.
To pick a quality ham, Harrison recommends consumers first
decide whether they want a cured ham or a fresh ham. Cured ham
has a higher sodium content. If time is an issue, she suggests
choosing a fully cooked ham or smaller cut of ham.
Price is another issue. “Instead of just looking at the total
cost of a product, look at the cost per serving to get the most
for your money,” she said. “For instance, bone-in hams have
about two to three servings per pound. Boneless hams have about
four to five servings per pound.”
Even though the boneless appears to be more expensive, you will
actually get more servings, she said.
When the perfect holiday ham has been selected and finally
makes its way out of the refrigerator, Harrison recommends
following these four safety rules:
1. Clean. Wash hands for 20 seconds with warm, running
water and soap, rubbing vigorously and paying special attention
to fingernails before and after handling raw meats, poultry,
fish and eggs.
2. Separate. Keep raw foods separate or away from ready-
to-eat foods.
3. Cook. Use a food thermometer to tell when internal
temperatures that get rid of harmful bacteria have been
reached. Contact your family and consumer science UGA
Cooperative Extension agent for more information on cooking
temperatures and using thermometers.
4. Chill. Refrigerate leftovers immediately. Do not
leave perishable foods at room temperature for more than two
hours.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines when cooking hams
are to “set the oven temperature to 325° F,” Harrison
said. “Both cook-before-eating cured and fresh hams should be
cooked to 160° F. Reheat fully cooked ham to at least 140°F.”
For those using a turkey fryer this holiday season, that’s the
one place a ham shouldn’t go.
“We would not recommend frying a whole ham like a turkey,” she
said. “Even with turkeys, there is a safety hazard that people
should be aware of with handling so much hot oil.”
(Stephanie Schupska is a news editor with the University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
