Ham is basically the cut from pork and comes from the leg. It is preserved by wet or dry curing later on, and may or may not be smoked. That gives the ham a vast range of options, and you could possibly be having tons of different types of ham that you could be dealing with. Yet, the juicy, tender texture of the ham makes it a delicacy to be enjoyed with different table settings and more. Ham is also used as breakfast bacon, for the preparation of sandwiches, and a lot more.
Ham has a delicious, juicy texture on it, but has a solid overall structure. However, at times the ham can also turn mushy, and that is what you wouldn’t want to have. If the ham that you are having turns up to be mushy, there can be a number of reasons behind it. Those reasons you will have to change in order to get things sorted out for you. A few such things that you will need to be careful about if you are facing any problems with the ham to be turning mushy are:
Why Is Ham Mushy?
1. Tenderizer
The first thing that can cause the ham to be mushy is the excessive use of tenderizer. While the ham is basically thin slices, at times you will need to use the tenderizer on it to make the slices even thinner and you can have the perfect shape on the ham that you are preparing for any sort of sandwiches or more.
However, if you are using the tenderizer in an excessive amounts, it is bound to break the ham and take out those fats and juices that will, later on, cause the tenderizer to be appearing mushier than you would want. That is why, if you need to use the tenderizer, you should keep a track, and don’t use too much of it. That way, you can ensure that you are not going to face the issues with the ham turning on to be mushier later on and you can get the job done right.
2. Marination Ingredients
You also need to be careful about the ingredients that you are using for marination. As it is common knowledge, pineapple breaks the fats and molecules that are there on the meat and let pineapple sit over any type of meat for longer periods and it is bound to turn up all juicy and mushy.
Lime juice, vinegar, and pineapple are a few such things that you will need to be careful about. If you are using them in excessive quantities, or letting the meat sit while it is marinated for longer time, that can later on turn up your ham to be mushier than it needs to be.
3. Storage
Storage also matters a lot, when it comes to dealing with ham or any other type of meat you could be having. That is why, you will need to be particularly careful about getting it out of the storage if it is about to go bad, or you feel like it is turning softer here.
Ham stays good in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, but it is optimal to be cooking it within a day or two. That way, you will not have to deal with any problems that mushy ham brings along.
4. Cook them right
You will need to keep the cooking time in perspective as well while you are trying to cook the ham. It doesn’t matter if you are smoking them, baking them or using any other method to prepare the ham, if you don’t cook it for the right amount of time, it will cause you to have problems with the ham being mushy.
You will need to be careful about the cooking time, and if you are undercooking the ham or overcooking it, you can have issues with the ham being mushy. Cook it properly for the adequate amount of time, and that should be the best thing for you to be having if you are unable to get the mushiness out of your ham.
The cooking time will have to depend on the ingredients that you are using for marination, and you need to decide the cooking time based on the marination you have used for the ham.