Is Hickory Honey Ham Really Ham?

Come the holidays, you’ll often see golden spiral-cut hickory honey hams making an appearance on charcuterie boards and dinner tables. But with its glistening glaze and commercial production, is hickory honey ham truly a traditional cured ham? Or is it more of a processed meat product? Let’s take a closer look at how it’s made.

True hickory smoked ham offers incredible rich, smoky flavor when done right. Adding a sweet honey glaze provides the perfect counterbalance to the saltiness. However, not all hickory honey hams are created equal when it comes to ingredients and curing techniques.

What Exactly is Hickory Honey Ham?

Hickory honey ham refers to ham that has been cured, smoked over hickory wood, and coated with a sticky glaze made from honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup. It’s sold fully cooked and sliced, making it quick and easy for holiday meals.

The smoking infuses the meat with a distinctive smoky, wood-fired taste The honey glaze gives it a caramelized exterior and balances the saltiness you expect from ham. It’s a crowd-pleasing combination of sweet, salty, and savory flavors. But there’s vast variation in how authentic the curing and smoking processes are

Traditional Hickory Honey Ham Production

Traditionally hickory smoked ham is carefully crafted over an extended timeline

• Pork legs are cured with salt, nitrites, and sometimes sugar for preservation and seasoning.

• The cured ham rests to allow complete penetration of the salts and nitrites.

• It is then hung smoked over hickory embers for hours or days to develop robust flavor.

• The ham ages further for months, intensifying its complex taste.

• Finally, it is coated in a sticky glaze right before slicing and packaging.

When this artisanal process is followed, it yields exceptionally tasty ham with nuanced smoky notes. However, mass-produced hickory ham takes shortcuts to reduce costs and production time.

Signs Your Hickory Honey Ham is Truly Artisanal

When buying real deal hickory honey ham, look for these indicators of authenticity:

• Minimal ingredients like pork, water, salt, and nitrates from natural sources like celery powder.

• Extended 8-12 month aging period for concentrated flavor.

• Longer smoking times over real hardwood, not artificial smoke flavor.

• Local specialty producer, not a huge factory operation.

• Heritage breed pork from pastured pigs, not confined operations.

• Ability to bake or roast without drying out due to minimal processing.

• Hand-crafted curing instead of mass mechanical production.

Ask your local butcher or deli about their sources. And check the packaging for signs of artisanal quality.

Why Store-Bought Isn’t the Real Deal

While convenient, mass-produced grocery store hickory honey hams use industrial shortcuts like:

• Lower quality confined pork

• Faster curing with injected nitrites

• Short smoking times in huge smokehouses

• Artificial smoke flavors as shortcuts

• Generous glaze coatings mask flaws

• Preservatives and stabilizers to extend shelf life

As a result, the flavor is milder instead of rich and smoky. The texture is overly moist instead of firm. And the nutrition suffers. So read labels closely if buying pre-packaged.

Health Impacts of Processed Hickory Honey Ham

With the extensive processing involved, even high-quality hickory honey ham is considered a processed meat. Health agencies advise limiting intake of processed meats due to cancer and illness risks.

Potential health downsides of frequently eating store-bought hickory honey ham include:

• High sodium levels
• Nitrates and nitrite exposure
• Increased cancer risk from smoking/curing methods
• Nutrient loss from extended cooking times
• Sugar content from glazes
• Preservatives and additives
• Fat, cholesterol and calories

Enjoying it occasionally and in moderation is likely fine for most people. But regular high consumption may be unhealthy. When possible, choose artisanal hams with no artificial ingredients.

Give Homemade Hickory Honey Ham a Try

For a healthier homemade version, follow these easy steps:

Ingredients:

• Boneless pork shoulder or leg
• Dry cure of sea salt, brown sugar, pepper, cinnamon
• Hickory wood chips
• Pure honey
• Brown sugar
• Mustard

Instructions:

1. Trim pork and rub dry cure all over. Refrigerate 3-7 days.
2. Rinse cure off and let pork air dry 24 hours.
3. Hot smoke with hickory chips for 4-8 hours until 145°F.
4. Make glaze by mixing honey, brown sugar, and mustard.
5. Apply glaze and continue smoking 30-60 minutes until sticky.
6. Let ham rest 30 minutes before slicing.

You’ll end up with incredibly tender and smoky ham with honey glaze for far less than store-bought. Yet you control the quality of ingredients. Enjoy it as a centerpiece ham or use the leftovers in so many dishes.

The Bottom Line on Hickory Honey Ham

Seek out artisanal hickory smoked ham to truly appreciate the exceptional balance of smoky and subtly sweet. Though convenient, store-bought versions lack the complex flavor of traditionally cured ham. But used in moderation, even mass-produced hickory honey ham can still make a tasty addition to your holiday table.