Production of ham Maia

Country hams are salt-cured (and occasionally nitrite- and nitrate-cured) for one to three months. They may be hardwood(usually hickory and Red Oak) smoked, then aged for several months to 2–3 years, depending on the fat content of the meat.^[3] Country hams are not fully cooked, but preserved by the cure. Smoking is not a legal requirement: some types of country ham, such as the "salt-and-pepper ham" of North Carolina, are not smoked. Smoking turns the meat a much redder color than unsmoked hams. They are usually sold in stores unrefrigerated as whole, bone-in hams packaged in rough cotton bags, with identifying markings printed on the bags. Country ham is also sold in presoaked, sliced, ready-to-cook form,