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Wet and Dry-cured Hams - 1^st Nov 2020

One of the first things you see when you’re entering Huber’s Butchery, other than the yummy-looking sausages, are our wide selection of cold cuts – wet-cured hams, dry-cured hams, and many other charcuteries! Rows after rows of prosciutto, Kurobuta ham and pancetta are indeed an impressive sight (not to mention their incredible flavour), but perhaps quite confusing to make a selection. As such, we would like to provide you with more information on the different types of ham we have in the butchery.

First – what are dry-cured hams, or wet-cured hams anyway? Quite simply, cured hams are typically pork legs (sometimes the shoulders and sometimes pieces of pork pressed together) that have been seasoned with salt, preventing the growth of microorganisms and decay.

For dry-cured hams, they are cured without the use of water (as the name implies); the meat is preserved by burying it in a curing compound consisting of salt and other ingredients (which may include sugar, sodium nitrate, nitrates, phosphates, and other herbs and spices). Then the ham is hung up to dry for a long period of time – anywhere from a few weeks to months and even years, depending on the variety of ham. This dehydrates the meat, producing a more intense flavour and deepens the colour of the ham, especially if the meat is smoked afterwards! The reduction in the weight of the ham as well as the long drying time explains why dry-cured hams are usually more expensive than wet-cured hams.  Dry-cured hams are more often sliced thin and enjoyed raw, although they are also commonly used in pasta recipes or as pizza toppings. Our Jamón Ibérico, Jamón Serrano, Guanciale and Prosciutto di Parma hams (aged from 16 to even 48 months!) are classic examples of a dry-cured ham, and are widely sought after by our customers!

Wet-cured hams (also referred to as brined hams), unlike their dry counterpart, are cured by soaking or injecting with water and brining ingredients that may consist of salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, honey, spices and seasoning. For those who are looking for healthier options, we have specially launched a new range of nitrite- and sugar-free hams! Wet-cured hams are typically juicier and are less intense in taste than dry-cured hams. They have to be cooked and may be consumed cold in thin slices, pan-fried as a ham steak or baked as a whole ham. Wet-cured hams are the more popular type that you can widely find in stores; our made-in-house selection of honey baked hams and Kurobuta hams are great examples of wet-cured hams that you can use as an appetizer, on a cold-cut platter or for sandwiches! Especially at Huber’s Butchery, we like to use good quality full-muscle pork legs to make our hams, instead of bits of pork bound together.

Nothing says Christmas more than a traditional Christmas ham! Select from our specially curated hams for your festive celebration by clicking here. Here’s also sharing with you on how to prepare Gammon ham.

(Due to the ready to eat nature of air-dried products, there are not many overseas factories that has earned the seal of approval from Singapore Food Agency (SFA formerly known as AVA) to export to Singapore. Huber’s has sourced the best from these approved establishments and that is evident from the refined texture and taste of our range of air-dried products.)