How Is Cured Meat Different to Cooked (with Examples)

Most people see meat as either cooked or raw—those are the only two options. Cured meat is varied since some things like cured hot smoked bacon are cured and, during the process, cooked—then re-cooked again before eating.

Some other cured meats like prosciutto, biltong, or pancetta are not cooked at all before consumption.

I’ve been curing meat for nearly 20 years and have researched many cultures, so here is a short answer and a little more detail.

Dried Variations

Dry Cured meat is often preserved by using salt, drying it, reducing cold smoke, and reducing acidity.

Cured meat can be dry-cured salami, cooked salami, salt pork, dry-cured salumi, and many other variations.

Cured meats are defined as having salt curing in them; often, this is just the first stage of the process.

Cooked Variations

Some cured meats, like hot dogs, frankfurters, and pastrami, are cured using a dry or wet cure. However, they are cooked as part of the production process and then reheated to eat. These are not preserved cured meats.

Cured meat covers a massive category.

From charcuterie (is all charcuterie raw? I wrote about this here), a centuries-old French tradition, to the need for protein that will last an extended backpacking adventure, cured meat continues to rise in popularity worldwide.

Examples (I’ll elaborate on these in the table and below):

Prosciutto = salt dry-cured pork leg, preserved, dry-cured.

Pastrami = Wet brined/cured but cooked meat, ready to eat

Bacon = can be hot smoked/cooked to a safe temperature and then re-cooked or cold smoked and dried (ready to be cooked)

I’ve made all the above and taught how to make it.

Since curing meat does not imply that it is inherently cooked, it is important to check for the preparatory steps needed before you plan on chowing down on your cured meat without cooking it.

So here is a little more detail,

Details Cooked and UnCooked Cured Meats

To summarize and add more examples, see the table below for cooked and uncooked cured meats.

I’ve revised the table to include a clearer distinction between “Cooked” and “Preserved” under the Category.

Meat Types: Cooked vs. Preserved

Cooked Cured Meats

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Some meats are cured and then cooked- either through smoking, cooking directly, or using moist heat. This implies that the meat is both cured and cooked, so it is obviously safe to eat. 

All the examples in the table above that are cooked/hot smoked fall into this category

Examples of Cured Cooked Not Dried Meats

Pastrami

A popular Jewish creation, traditionally made with beef. It’s cured in a wet brine which has an aspect of acidity in it, which assists slightly in preservation short term.

It’s then steamed/simmered/baked and smoked – therefore ready to eat and cooked once the production process has been completed

Hot Smoked Bacon (Recooked)

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Hot smoked bacon is another cured meat cooked (and more technically recooked).

Bacon generally falls into two different categories when it comes to smoking. It can be hot-smoked or cold-smoked- both options have unique pros and cons.

With hot-smoked bacon, though, you will be sure that the meat has been rid of any harmful bacteria that were not prevented during the curing process, considering the heat to which the meat will be exposed during the hot smoking process.

Hot-smoking bacon has become popular for a few reasons, mainly its smoky and cooked flavor. It does not offer quite the same smokey flavor that cold smoking will for this type of meat, but it is still comparable and enjoyable.

The procedure for enjoying hot-smoked bacon is simple (at least on paper).

The meat is cut, cured, pellicle-formed for smoke retention, hot-smoked (cooked/smoked at the same time), and then fried or cooked another way again (aka recooked); you can enjoy this meat in many capacities. Including on your favorite sandwich, alongside your morning breakfast, or as a topping to a savory dinner.

Uncooked /Dry-Cured Meats

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Another category of cured meats is uncooked or dry-cured meats. The dry-curing process on many of these makes the meat ready to be consumed without the need for additional cooking. But if you are concerned, it is best to check the particular meat you are planning to enjoy before biting in.

Examples of Dry Cured Meats (dried)

Parma Ham & Prosciutto (Dry-Cured Pork Legs)

Dry-cured meats often enhance flavor due to this drying process: less water, more intensive flavor.

Parma de Prosciutto and prosciutto are sweeter meats that add a delightful delicacy to any charcuterie board (or another type of plated offering). These meats come from the rear of the pork, primarily from the pork hind leg. 

Interestingly, Parma ham and prosciutto (prosciutto is eaten raw and I wrote why here) are dry-cured, a process in which the meats are cured with salt to considerably reduce unwanted bacteria that would otherwise make them unsafe to eat. 

During this process, the meat is dried after a salt cure that reduces its moisture content, with the salt assist in removing the moisture also.

After being cured and dried for at least 12 months, the Parma and prosciutto are safe to eat without cooking first.

Even though they look a little raw, on closer inspection, they don’t feel or smell like raw meat at all. Since they have been dry-cured.

Lonza, Bresaola, Pancetta (Whole Muscle Dry-Cured Meat)

Lonza, bresaola, and pancetta are delightful meats often included in savory dishes. Their delicious addition will elevate the flavor profile of any dish. These meats are dry-cured, similar to the prosciutto above.

But, since they are dry-cured, they can be consumed upon being served. However, some people do use these types of meat incorporated into other dishes, so you may find that they have been cooked alongside another ingredient, which is still ok (Pancetta and Carbonara pasta is a classic)

Lonza, bresaola, and pancetta all come from whole muscles. These delicious meats can be enjoyed on a charcuterie board, or add these proteins on top of a piece of bread for an afternoon snack.

Cold Smoked Dry-Cured Bacon

Cold-smoked dry-cured bacon is the counterpart to hot-smoked dry-cured bacon, and though it differs in preparation, it shares many of the same delights.

The cold-smoking process exposes the dry-cured bacon to the right airflow, temperature, and humidity – variation can occur, and the bacon can still be delicious.

Since it’s cooked before consumption, it’s often not dried to the extent of the dry cured meats such as Parma Prosciutto or Pancetta.

Regardless, once this meat has been prepared through the cold smoking process, it will be ready to consume. 

You can use it in the same way as any other bacon, but be sure to choose an option that will allow you to enjoy the rich flavor that will have come from this more technical, worth-the-wait smoking process.

Meat Type	Category	Description
Prosciutto	Preserved/Dry Cured	Traditional Italian dry-cured ham with a delicate flavor.
Pastrami	Cooked/Wet Cured	Brisket cured in brine, coated with spices, and smoked.
Bacon	Both	Pork belly cured and smoked; styles vary globally.
Salami	Both	Pork leg that is cured sometimes smoked, and fully cooked.
Ham	Cooked/Hot Smoked	Sausages are smoked to enhance flavor and preserve.
Smoked Sausage	Cooked/Hot Smoked	Spicy pork sausage, cured or smoked, depending on the variety.
Chorizo	Both	Spiced sausage is often used as pizza topping, cured, or cooked.
Pepperoni	Both	Italian cured pork jowl is rich and flavorful.
Guanciale	Preserved/Dry Cured	Beef is cured in brine, often boiled or simmered.
Corned Beef	Cooked/Wet Cured	Italian sausage has a smooth texture and sometimes contains pistachios.
Bresaola	Preserved/Dry Cured	Air-dried beef fillet, lean and flavorful.
Mortadella	Cooked	Dry-cured pork shoulder seasoned with spices.
Coppa	Preserved/Dry Cured	Cured pork belly is often used in Italian cooking.
Capicola	Preserved/Dry Cured	Italian cured meat, similar to coppa but often spicier.
Pancetta	Preserved/Dry Cured	Coarsely ground salami with a robust flavor often air-dried.
Soppressata Salami	Preserved/Dry Cured	Cured pork fatback seasoned with herbs and spices.
Speck	Preserved/Dry Cured/Cold Smoked	Alpine-style cured ham with a smoky flavor.
Lardo	Preserved/Dry Cured	Cured duck breast is rich and flavorful.
Duck Prosciutto	Preserved/Dry Cured	Smoked sausage originating from Central Europe is often spiced.
Turkey Bacon	Cooked/Hot Smoked	Smoked and seasoned turkey, an alternative to traditional bacon.
Kransky Sausage	Cooked/Hot Smoked	Smooth-textured sausage often served as a deli meat.
Bologna	Cooked	Smooth-textured sausage, often served as a deli meat.

If you want more cured sausage category breakdown, I’ve written another article here.

Thanks for reading; feel free to ask any questions below; always looking to help answer you and have a chat.