breaded ham

That orange gunk is horrible. It does nothing for the ham. When I was young I used to work in a family run grocery store. We sold ham on the bone that was boiled in a huge ham boiler in the back of the shop. My DH used to go in at 05.00 to start it off. (That's where we met). I was really good at slicing it. I was also good at slicing my thumb.

I think it's there to try to entice you to eat the inch thick layer of fat underneath. I used to think grownups were trying to fool me, when I was little. I suppose if it was a whole ham, a large white fatty ham wouldn't look all that appetising.

When breaded ham was invented, perhaps people were quite happy to eat pork fat. I still am. Parma ham still has the subcutaneous fat layer on it. We (some of us) eat that. It's the same stuff.

Now I need to research what breading of ham was all about. I'm guessing it was a way of making use of stale breadcrumbs originally.

Bacon fat ditto.

OK, I can see that if you have a whole ham the breadcrumbs stuck all over it would make it look more appetising but they do nothing for ham slices on what the supermarkets say is "formed ham", in other words bits of ham pressed together and moulded into a shape good for slicing.

Can anyone say they have bought the breaded version in preference to unbreaded? If they have i will shut up , if not I think an anti breaded ham petition and possible demo is called for.

Tell me more about the Bacon fat ditto, thatbags.

But the breaded slices that you buy in packets are cut from a whole ham that has been breaded, haven't they? That's why they still have the breadcrumbs on them. They are not put onto the single slices.

By bacon fat ditto, I meant that I eat it, just as I eat the fat on Parma ham. It's part of the food.

I also put a lump of lard in my homemade bread. Also a lump of butter and some ground up linseeds. Several different fats makes for delicious bread with a lovely consistency, I find.

I can see that the crumbs on the slices will have come from the big lump, BUT, if the ham is to be sold ready sliced there I can't see any need to disguise the fat as you might want to on a whole ham sitting on the deli counter.

I love your use of butter and lard. Reminds me that my gran had several pudding basins in her pantry where she used to put all the melted fats left over from roasts etc - the beef one had lovely brown jelly in the bottom of it.

I don't think the breadcrumbs are to disguise the fat. I think they are for decoration. The fat doesn't need disguising as far as I'm concerned though I know some people are a bit squeamish aboutmeat fat nowadays. Not me

The fat under the orange breadcrumbs is very soft. Perhaps the breadcrumbs are there to hold it on, otherwise it would be rather messy handling the whole ham and slicing it.

And the fat would smear over the inside of the packaging - not an appetising look!

A bit like the wax on a babybell cheese Ana.

Yes...except that the breadcrumbs are actually edible, even if you choose not to eat them!

I always buy plain ham from the counter, Usually Wiltshire ham. I hate any thing stuck onto the ham, like the breadcrumbs/ mustard et.

I usually buy Wiltshire ham too - it seems to have more flavour.

I don't want 'honey-glazed' or 'applewood smoked' - and I don't want a great dollop of fat on the top either!

Ha! So nobody actually prefers breaded ham, not anyone who has posted so far anyway.

BTW the ham I mentioned in my first post was actually marmalade, whisky and mustard flavour, off the bone. It had no flavour whatsoever. I did actually eat it but my excuse is that I was on a protein day and there was nothing else.

I go for no added water ham if not off the bone.

It was quite talented of that marmalade, whisky and mustard to taste of nothing at all. That must take some doing for those ingredients!

LOL - exactly, thatters.

The fat is soft because it is formed, as is the majority of any ham , if packaged, check for the wording reformed, and even on the deli counter, those hams can also be reformed .
Asda Extra Special Witshire ham--reformed
Sainsbury Taste the Difference Wiltshire ham--reformed
Tesco Finest Wiltshire ham --reformed

Waitrose Wiltshire ham however ,is not reformed.

Always read the small print.

I just has Tesco breaded sliced ham for lunch , in a pitta , quite tasty

My friend used to call it 'Reorganised Meat ' which I thought was apt!

DGD1 asked me where the breadcrumbs were when I served her Wiltshire ham without breadcrumbs .....