Pizza Today - October 2023 - 39

H
am doesn't get the fame and notoriety
that other pizza toppings do
these days. But don't discount ham.
When it comes to pizza sales, ham is still a
top contender. In our State of the Pizzeria
Industry Report, we found that ham is a
Top 10 pizza topping according to pizzeria
operators in every state in the U.S.
Get to the " Bottom " of Ham
Ham is cut from the hind legs and rump
of a pig. Simply cooking the fresh pork is
still considered ham. But when you preserve
the cut, that's where the magic happens,
and America's most popular hams are born.
While you can technically preserve any cut
of the pork, only hind legs and butt can be
considered ham. Common cuts are the center
slice, butt end and ham shank. The shank
tends to be fattier than the butt end. Ham
can be purchased bone-in or boneless.
Taste varies widely by purveyor. Ham is
either dry-cured or brine-cured with salt.
Ham can also be smoked and aged.
Let's look at four of the most common
hams for use in a pizzeria.
City ham. These are wet cured in a
brine of saltwater and pre-cooked. City ham
is typically found in grocery stores. City
hams offer a well-rounded favor and moist
texture.
Country ham. The dry cured ham are
salted and smoked. The curing process can
take several months. Country hams tend to
have a more robust salty flavor and a drier
texture.
Prosciutto. The dry cured Italian ham
is thinly sliced. While some favor baking it,
prosciutto is at its best as a post-bake item.
Prosciutto is sweet, salty and full of flavor.
Canadian bacon. This one isn't really
ham at all, though it often gets put in the
same classification. It is cut from the pork
loin, cured and smoked before it is sliced
into the rounds its known for. The lean
meat is tender and tastes similar to ham.
Ham is a versatile pizza topping. There
are few typical pizza ingredients that do not
pair well with the hearty and salty flavor of
the ham of your choosing.
One of my favorite combinations is
the Capricciosa that features Italian (or
substitute your favorite ham), mushrooms,
artichokes and olives. You could also go
with anchovies, instead of olives, if you have
a market for them.
Since we've moved into the colder
months, ham is perfect on a white pie
that features an Alfredo sauce. Pair it with
mushrooms and even balsamic caramelized
onions or broccoli.
Four words: Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza.
This is one of the best sandwich turned pizzas
out there. It's hearty and flavorful. We
happen to have a dynamite recipe that was
created by a longtime contributor Jeffrey
Freehof.
1 12-ounce pizza dough
3 ounces Alfredo sauce
4 ounces diced roasted chicken
2 ounces shredded ham
2 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
3 ounces shredded mozzarella
Stretch the dough.
Top it with the Alfredo, half of both
cheeses, the chicken and ham.
Next, top with the remainder of the cheese
and bake.
The best ham sandwich meets
pizza
I love ham and cheese sandwiches. I'm
on a never-ending quest to find the right
combination of cheese to pair with the
saltiness of ham. Alas, a little restaurant I
know makes the best ham and cheese I've
ever had. It's so great that I order it once a
week. So, I'm using that as inspiration for a
hot ham and cheese pizza. Since I'm based
in Louisville, Kentucky, I'm using country
ham but pick your favorite ham. I'm calling
it the Oh Hot Ham and Cheese and here's
the recipe:
Oh Hot Ham & Cheese
1 19-ounce proprietary dough ball
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 ounces habanero jam
¾ white cheddar
½ cup shredded provolone
¼ cup Havarti
5 ounces country ham sliced and
pulled into bite-sized pieces
1 tomato sliced thinly
¼ cup thinly sliced habanero pepper
(or jalapeno or poblano to take heat
down)
Stretch dough to desired size and brush
on melted butter all the way to the edges.
Place habanero jam on a 14-inch round
followed by provolone and white cheddar.
Distribute ham evenly. Sprinkle havarti
around the pizza.
Add tomato and habanero peppers
to the top of the pizza. Note: Use less or
more habanero or substitute with a milder
or hotter pepper. Bake in a 475 F oven for
12 minutes or until the crust is golden and
cheese melted.
Serve hot.
The famous Hawaiian
Hawaiian pizza is one of the most
popular pizzas in America. The traditional
combination is tomato sauce, ham (or
bacon) and pineapple. We ended the debate
of whether pineapple belongs on pizza a
long time ago when the Hawaiian pizza
was introduced in 1962. Sam Panopolulos
is credited with creating the first Hawaiian
pizza at his Satellite restaurant in Chattam,
Ontario, Canada.
Over the years, several iterations of the
classic Hawaiian have been introduced
throughout America. Here are a few versions
that we've seen hit big:
* Ham, pineapple, jalapeno, red sauce
and mozzarella
*
Chicken, ham, pineapple, BBQ
sauce, mozzarella
* Prosciutto, burrata, pineapple, fresh
mozzarella, basil, sweet red sauce
* Canadian bacon, pineapple, white
cheddar/mozzarella blend, marinara
* Pepperoni, ham, pineapple, roasted
poblanos, sweet red sauce and provolone/mozzarella
blend
* Ham, bacon, pineapple, mozzarella,
sweet bell pepper and red sauce
Here's yet another take on a Hawaiian
Pizza from PizzaToday.com:
Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza
14-ounce dough ball
6 ounces tomato sauce
¼ cup pine nuts
4 ounces prosciutto
4 ounces salami
4 ounces pineapple, chopped
10 ounces mozzarella, shredded
Stretch your dough and apply sauce. Top
evenly with pine nuts, prosciutto, salami and
pineapple. Add the cheese and bake. Serve.
DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of
Pizza Today.
http://www.PizzaToday.com
Pizza Today - October 2023

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