What Is the Difference Between Shoulder and Hind Ham?

The ham is prepared from the leg of the pig and describes the “real” ham. If it says ham shoulder on the packaging, the meat comes from the pork shoulder. Ham contains less fat and connective tissue than shoulder ham and is considered to be of higher quality.

In principle, however, the processing of shoulder and hind ham is the same. Both cooked and raw ham can be made from both pieces of meat. Cooked ham is cured using a spraying process and then scalded, occasionally it is briefly smoked before or after cooking. Raw ham dries in the air or is preserved by smoking.