Cured Virginia Ham

[menon1971]

When one has the information at hand about the consequences, it is not risk anymore, but stupidity.-Dick

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That's utter nonsense. Refusing to understand the risks might be called stupid, but an informed choice to take a risk is just an informed choice. I go rock climbing and ice climbing. Some closed minded people call these pursuits stupid, but the fact is that I spend a lot of time studying and managing the risks. My choices to to accept or not accept those risks are personal ones. They can be judged on a scale of cautious to reckless, but not smart to stupid.

In the same spirit an intelligent person on this board might choose to uncooked ham, smoked fish, soft cheese, or raw eggs.

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A short lesson in risk is in order. Risk is ALWAYS coupled with consequence. Low risk, low consequence, do it. Low risk, high consequence, most individuals will chose to do it. Certainly flying in a commercial airliner is low risk, high consequence. Moderate risk, high consequence, most will avoid

When one writes about rock or ice climbing, one needs to specify what type of climbing one does. Do you free climb, climb with aids or 'top rope'. If 'top rope' or climb with aids, then you obviously believe there is a substantial risk associated with free climbing that you avoid because the consequences are high(death). One cannot talk about risk without talking about consequence. In this case the risk for free climbing is dependant on your ability but the consequence is always high and does not depend on your ability.

Which type of climbing do you do? I used to 'top rope'. Low risk, high consequence.

Eating uncooled raw cured ham probably has a moderate risk but high consequence. One might think that its low risk, high consequence but that is debatable. In any event its the high consequence associated with the risk that determines whether or not one does something. If the consequence for eating uncooked cured raw ham were low, then I would not be writing this response.-Dick

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Just for the sake of analytics, if the likely outcome of listeria is most likely a nasty illness, but not death, does that not make the consequence moderate? Also, is the possibility of contamination not theoretically similar in other raw products including jamon Iberico?

[budrichard]

Food poisoning does not always result in death, in fact the outcome is usually somewhat dependant on age. I know for a fact that food poisoning can result in kidney failure as my mother-in-law found out. Her son survived without kidney failure. This was from restaurant food.

So, the consequence is not always death. In some cases it is a slow death.

When one knows the consequence can be death, kidney failure or some other lasting consequence and the product manufacturers along with the USDA will not certify that consuming raw Country Ham is safe, hoping that it is safe is folly.

EOT for me! -Dick

[paulraphael]

Which type of climbing do you do? I used to 'top rope'. Low risk, high consequence.

Eating uncooled raw cured ham probably has a moderate risk but high consequence. One might think that its low risk, high consequence but that is debatable. In any event its the high consequence associated with the risk that determines whether or not one does something. If the consequence for eating uncooked cured raw ham were low, then I would not be writing this response.-Dick

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You're giving me your own personal standards for what kind of risk are acceptable to you. That's great, but there's no universal principle here that you can impose on other people. You used to toprope, that's great. I climb alpine rock and ice routes, sometimes badly protected, sometimes unroped with thousands of feet of exposure. I'd call it moderate risk, high consequence ... almost as serious as a New York City taxi ride on the FDR--another common but not widely recommendable activity. It's all a matter of choice.

At any rate, enough people eat uncooked cured meat that I think we'd have some sobering statistics if the risks were really that serious.

[Paul Fordiani]

The ham, however, as Jacques Pepin did state in "The Apprentice", is delicious when served in the style of a serrano or parma ham. A real treat in these United States. Really delicious. Velvety and smoky and salty. Trim the mold, save the fat for other uses, enjoy the ham.