What to use instead of ham
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Thin salty slices layered inside a hot sandwich
Cured ham is already cooked and holds its slice when it heats, and its salt is what balances the cheese and the bechamel around it.
Sliced smoked turkey breastRan out
1:1 by weight
Leaner and milder, so the sandwich needs an extra pinch of salt, and it dries out under a long grill.
Prosciutto cottoRan out
1:1 by weight
Softer and less salty with a cleaner pork flavour, and it warms through in about half the time.
MortadellaRan out
1:1 by weight
Much fattier, so the slices go slack under the grill and the sandwich reads richer and sweeter.
Canadian bacon, seared 1 minute a side firstRan out
1:1 by weight
Firmer and smokier with a browned edge, and it curls in the pan unless you nick the fat rim.
What doesn't work: Prosciutto crudo. It is dry-cured and never cooked, so under a hot grill it seizes into a salty sheet that fights the knife and buries everything else in the sandwich.
Cubed salty meat folded through eggs or a salad
The cubes stay firm, release very little water into the egg, and carry salt and smoke into an otherwise mild base.
Bacon, cooked and choppedRan out
2/3 cup chopped bacon per 1 cup cubed ham
Smokier and saltier and it adds rendered fat to the pan, so pull back on both the quantity and the butter.
Smoked turkey, cubedRan out
1:1 by volume
Leaner and blander and it dries out in a hot pan, so fold it in off the heat at the end.
Spanish chorizo, dicedRan out
2/3 cup per 1 cup cubed ham
Stains the eggs orange and brings pimenton heat, and it renders enough fat to replace the butter.
Smoked tofu, cubed and searedPlant-based
1:1 by volume plus 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of salt
Holds its cubes and takes browning, but nothing renders out, so the pan stays dry and the seasoning has to be added.
What doesn't work: Water-added deli ham, the wet pink kind. It sheds liquid the second it hits the pan, so the omelet weeps and the cubes go grey and rubbery around the edges.