1. Definition

Cured ham is a piece of meat cut from pork. It is shaped (shaped trimming) to give it an overall rounded (pear-shaped) appearance. It is then rapidly salted under cold conditions, and gradually stabilized by drying (lowering the water activity A _w ). Dried products, often matured (from 4/5 months to over a year), are usually boned and reconstituted by pressing, making them easy to slice and pack for self-service distribution.