Stir oats into briskly boiling salted water. Cook 1 minute for quick oats, stirring occasionally. Cook 5 minutes or longer for old fashioned oats. Cover pan, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in ham or bacon. Pour into ungreased 8- half inch x 4- half inch x 2- half inch loaf pan. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Cut into 16 slices. Pan-fry in small amount of butter until golden brown, about 10 minutes per side. Serve hot with butter and syrup.