question: It seems like we only cure pork into ham, but we don't treat any other meat the same way. Why?
comment: Beef jerky is basically dry cured beef. Fish is often spoken and in northern countries also salt cured or dry cured.
passages: Traditional dry cure hams may use only salt as the curative agent, such as with San Daniele or Parma hams, although this is comparatively rare. This process involves cleaning the raw meat, covering it in salt while it is gradually pressed draining all the blood. 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 wet curing process can also be achieved by pumping the curing solution into the meat. This can be quicker, increase the weight of the finished product by more than immersion, and ensure a more even distribution of salt through the meat. This process is quicker than traditional brining, normally being completed in a few days.
  
  Section::::Methods.:Smoking.
  
  Ham can also be additionally preserved through smoking, in which the meat is placed in a smokehouse (or equivalent) to be cured by the action of smoke.
   Ham is produced by curing raw pork by salting, also known as dry curing, or brining, also known as wet curing. Additionally, smoking may be employed. Besides salt, several ingredients may be used to obtain flavoring and preservation, from black pepper (e.g. Prosciutto Toscano) to saffron (e.g. the "Zafferano di San Gimignano").
  
  Section::::Methods.:Dry-cured.
   BULLET::::- Smithfield ham – a specific form of country ham finish-cured in the town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, United States.
  
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  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Ham hock
  
  BULLET::::- Ham sausage
  
  BULLET::::- List of dried foods
  
  BULLET::::- List of ham dishes
  
  BULLET::::- List of pork dishes
  
  BULLET::::- List of smoked foods
  
  BULLET::::- Turkey ham – a processed food made primarily from cooked or cured turkey meat and water, formed into the shape of a ham and often sold pre-sliced.
   In the United Kingdom, a pork leg cut, either whole or sliced, that has been cured but requires additional cooking is known as gammon. Gammons were traditional cured before being cut from a side of pork along with bacon. When cooked, gammon is ham. Such roasts are a traditional part of British Christmas dinners. 
  
  Section::::Health effects.
   Wiltshire cure
  
  The Wiltshire cure is a traditional English technique for curing bacon and ham. The technique originated in the 18th century in Calne, Wiltshire; it was developed by the Harris family. Originally it was a dry cure method that involved applying salt to the meat for 10–14 days. Storing the meat in cold rooms meant that less salt was needed. The Wiltshire cure has been a wet cure, soaking the meat in brine for 4–5 days, since the First World War. Smoking is not part of the process, although bacon is often smoked after being cured.
   Section::::Types.:Country ham.
  
  Country ham is a popular ham originally developed by American Colonists who took traditional Native American fish smoking practices and used them for pork. Country hams traditionally were made in the American Southeast from Virginia to Missouri. Most country hams are trimmed, wrapped, cured in salt, sugar, pepper and various spices. In modern times, some preparations added nitrates for food safety. After curing the hams are smoked for at least 12 hours, then hung to dry for 9 to 12 months. Some traditional process can take years from curing to being ready to consume.
  
  Section::::Types.:Finnan haddie.
   Pork is particularly common as an ingredient in sausages. Many traditional European sausages are made with pork, including chorizo, fuet, Cumberland sausage and salami. Many brands of American hot dogs and most breakfast sausages are made from pork. Processing of pork into sausages and other products in France is described as charcuterie.
  
  Ham and bacon are made from fresh pork by curing with salt (pickling) or smoking. Shoulders and legs are most commonly cured in this manner for Picnic shoulder and ham, whereas streaky and round bacon come from the side (round from the loin and streaky from the belly).
   While it is unclear whether the green pork (the raw product of the cured ham) may come from hogs raised and slaughtered in other than Smithfield, Virginia; the statute's stipulation that the six-month (minimum duration) curing clock is to begin when the green pork is "introduced to dry salt"; and, that through the entire duration of the process, the ham and its processing must occur within Smithfield, Virginia. The statute also commands, that any richer, or more intense cure, obtained from an aging, that is in excess of six months, must also be done within Smithfield, Virginia.
  
  Section::::See also.
   The preserving of pork leg as ham has a long history, with Cato the Elder writing about the "salting of hams" in his "De Agri Cultura" tome around 160 BC.
  
  There are claims that the Chinese were the first people to mention the production of cured ham. Larousse Gastronomique claims an origin from Gaul. It was certainly well established by the Roman period, as evidenced by an import trade from Gaul mentioned by Marcus Terentius Varro in his writings.
   Cured meats have been specifically produced to be edible for a long time. The curing process was used for generations to preserve pork before the invention of refrigeration. During the curing process the meat is dried in salt, which helps to prevent the build-up of harmful organisms, and then is hung to be exposed to the elements, producing an exterior layer of mold which helps to protect the meat inside.
   Section::::By country.:Italy.
  
  Soppressata is an Italian dry-cured salami that is sometimes prepared using ham.
  
  Section::::By country.:Poland.
  
  "Kielbasa szynkowa" is a Polish ham sausage prepared using ham, pork shoulder, beef and spices. It can be prepared by hot smoking.
  
  Section::::By country.:United States.
   The modern word "ham" is derived from the Old English "ham" or "hom" meaning the hollow or bend of the knee, from a Germanic base where it meant "crooked". It began to refer to the cut of pork derived from the hind leg of a pig around the 15th century.
  
  Because of the preservation process, ham is a compound foodstuff or ingredient, being made up of the original meat, as well as the remnants of the preserving agent(s), such as salt, but it is still recognised as a food in its own right.
  
  Section::::Methods.
   BULLET::::- Éisleker Ham – literally "Oesling ham", is a speciality from the Oesling region in the north of Luxembourg which is produced from the hind legs of pigs. Traditionally, it was prepared by marinating the hams in herbs and vinegar for several days, then hanging them in a chimney for long periods of cold smoking. Today the meat is cured in brine for two weeks and placed in a smoker fed from beech and oak chips for about a week.
  
  Section::::Hams and ham products.:Montenegro.
   The salt content in dry-cured ham varies throughout a piece of meat, with gradients determinable through sampling and testing or non-invasively through CT scanning.
  
  Section::::Methods.:Wet-cured.
  
  Wet-cured hams are brined, which involves the immersion of the meat in a brine, sometimes with other ingredients such as sugar also added for flavour. Meat is typically kept in the brine for around 3 to 14 days. Wet curing also has the effect of increasing volume and weight of the finished product, by about 4%.
   Section::::Pork products.
  
  Pork may be cooked from fresh meat or cured over time. Cured meat products include ham and bacon. The carcass may be used in many different ways for fresh meat cuts, with the popularity of certain cuts and certain carcass proportions varying worldwide.
  
  Section::::Pork products.:Fresh meat.
   Although any cut of pork can be cured, technically speaking only the back leg is entitled to be called a ham. Legs and shoulders, when used fresh, are usually cut bone-in for roasting, or leg steaks can be cut from the bone. Three common cuts of the leg include the rump (upper portion), centre, and shank (lower portion). The ham of Iberian pigs is known as "jamón".
  
  Section::::Cuts.:Ham hock.
   A traditional New England/Northeastern United States preparation uses ham, usually of the maple-cured variety, along with cooked mashed potato (often mixed with some mild seasonings and milk or butter for a smoother consistency) for the outer roll. These are dipped in crumbed breading, and sautéed or fried in a small skillet using butter. Typically, these are most common during the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas holiday season as one of several ways to use up leftover holiday ham.
   Pork has been a Danish favourite for centuries but it was after the Industrial Revolution in the 1860s when wood-fired ovens were introduced for use in the home that, in addition to sausages and hams, roast pork became a popular dish. From the beginning, joints were always cooked together with the rind in order to provide crackling. Ever since, this has remained a prerequisite for the dish.
  
  Section::::Traditional recipe.
   BULLET::::- Prague Ham – brine-cured, stewed, and mildly beechwood-smoked boneless ham originally from Prague in Bohemia (Czech Republic).
  
  Section::::Hams and ham products.:England.
   Ham sausage is a mass-produced food. The Tai Foong Canned Goods Co. in Shanghai, China, produced and purveyed canned corned ham sausage and canned smoked ham sausage as early as 1915. The Tianjin Meat United Processing Factory in Tianjin, China, produces Yingbin brand ham sausage in contemporary times. G.A. Müller and Könecke are German companies that produce a ham sausage called "Schinken Bockwurst" (English: ham bockwurst) and other sausage products in contemporary times. Smithfield Foods of the U.S. has mass-produced ham sausage.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- List of sausages
   Section::::Cuts.:Shoulder arm picnic.
  
  The arm shoulder can be cured on the bone to make a ham-like product or be used in sausages. The hands (or "paletas" in Ibérico pigs) refer to the front legs, as opposed to the hind legs, which are hams or "jamones". Between the "paleta" and the belly is a 150-200 g cut known as "secreto" which is very popular in Spain.
  
  Section::::Cuts.:Loin.
   BULLET::::- Westphalian ham – produced from acorn-fed pigs raised in the forests of Westphalia, Germany, the resulting meat is dry cured and then smoked over a mixture of beechwood and juniper branches.
  
  Section::::Hams and ham products.:Ireland.
  
  BULLET::::- Limerick ham – method of preparing a joint of ham within the cuisine of Ireland. The method was originally developed in County Limerick, Ireland.
  
  Section::::Hams and ham products.:Italy.
  
  BULLET::::- Culatello – similar to prosciutto but is made from the filet or loin of the hind leg, it originated in Parma, Italy.
   The duration of the curing process varies by the type of ham, with, for example, Serrano ham curing in 9–12 months, Parma hams taking more than 12 months, and Iberian ham taking up to 2 years to reach the desired flavour characteristics. Some dry cured hams, such as the Jinhua ham, take approximately 8 to 10 months to complete.
   BULLET::::- Amish preaching soup – An American bean soup sometimes prepared using ham hocks
  
  BULLET::::- "Eisbein" – a German culinary dish of pickled ham hock, usually cured and slightly boiled
  
  BULLET::::- "Fläsklägg med rotmos" – a Swedish dish prepared using ham hock, carrot, onion, potatoes, rutabaga and allspice. It is sometimes served with mustard.
  
  BULLET::::- "Schweinshaxe" – a German dish consisting of a roasted ham hock
  
presuppositions: We don't cure any meat besides pork. We only cure pork.
corrections: We cure many types of meat besides pork, including beef and fish. We cure other types of meat, such as beef and fish.
raw_presuppositions: We don't cure any meat besides pork. We only cure pork.
raw_corrections: We cure many types of meat besides pork, including beef and fish. We cure other types of meat, such as beef and fish.