its as easy as pie. I used a but for the first test. A lean fresh ham will be better.
The butt is too fatty and we will use this one for a breakfast ham or for soups and beans
Here is the recipe
The meat must be made to take up salt, spices and a cure to provide the characteristics we call ham. Many folks use a dry rubbing method but I find the liquid brine far simpler to deal with.
In addition to the salt, sugar and spices, the brine contains what is known as a cure. Many old timers do not use this but I do not consider it an option, if for no other reason than the fact that gray ham is not very appetizing. The cure is what gives ham it's pleasing pink color in addition to protection from botulism and other pathogenic organisms.
The brine is mixed in a plastic or stainless bucket large enough to hold the brine and meat. The following one gallon batch will do about 10 lbs of meat.
Brine Recipe
Water...................................1 gallon
Pickling Salt.......................1 cup
Sugar....................................1/4 cup
Prague #1 (Cure)...............1/3 cup
Pickling Spice.....................1 tsp
Cloves...................................1/2 tsp
The brine should be cooled to around 40F before the meat is placed in it. It should also be kept near that temperature during the brining period so that is another reason to make small hams.... you can find space in the fridge. Do not let it get below about 38F though because the cure ceases to function around there. Monitor the brine temp with a thermometer and just remove it for a while if it gets too cold.
The brining time is mainly a question of personal taste. The longer it stays in the brine, the saltier it gets. I find 4 days about right for a 3-5 lb piece of loin. You can speed things up by pumping brine into the meat with a syrenge but that is probably overkill for small pieces.
COOKING
For a garden variety "boiled ham", the meat is removed from the brine, rinsed off and placed in water at 170F. It is held there until the internal temperature reaches 155F on a meat thermometer. This will take about an hour for a 3 lb piece.
After cooking, the ham is chilled in cold water for about 30 minutes and then put in the fridge overnight. Next day you will think you just returned from the deli.
SMOKING
If you have a smoker, there are may options here. If you just want a little smokey flavor, you can smoke it either before or after cooking, for about 5 hours. Smoking before cooking will produce a moister, less salty ham.
i COPIED THIS RECIPE AND FOLLOWED IT TO THE LETTER. THE HAM COLOR WAS PERFECT AND IT TASTED LIKE HAM. WE WILL DO A LEAN FRESH HAM NEXT TIME
The butt is too fatty and we will use this one for a breakfast ham or for soups and beans
Here is the recipe
The meat must be made to take up salt, spices and a cure to provide the characteristics we call ham. Many folks use a dry rubbing method but I find the liquid brine far simpler to deal with.
In addition to the salt, sugar and spices, the brine contains what is known as a cure. Many old timers do not use this but I do not consider it an option, if for no other reason than the fact that gray ham is not very appetizing. The cure is what gives ham it's pleasing pink color in addition to protection from botulism and other pathogenic organisms.
The brine is mixed in a plastic or stainless bucket large enough to hold the brine and meat. The following one gallon batch will do about 10 lbs of meat.
Brine Recipe
Water...................................1 gallon
Pickling Salt.......................1 cup
Sugar....................................1/4 cup
Prague #1 (Cure)...............1/3 cup
Pickling Spice.....................1 tsp
Cloves...................................1/2 tsp
The brine should be cooled to around 40F before the meat is placed in it. It should also be kept near that temperature during the brining period so that is another reason to make small hams.... you can find space in the fridge. Do not let it get below about 38F though because the cure ceases to function around there. Monitor the brine temp with a thermometer and just remove it for a while if it gets too cold.
The brining time is mainly a question of personal taste. The longer it stays in the brine, the saltier it gets. I find 4 days about right for a 3-5 lb piece of loin. You can speed things up by pumping brine into the meat with a syrenge but that is probably overkill for small pieces.
COOKING
For a garden variety "boiled ham", the meat is removed from the brine, rinsed off and placed in water at 170F. It is held there until the internal temperature reaches 155F on a meat thermometer. This will take about an hour for a 3 lb piece.
After cooking, the ham is chilled in cold water for about 30 minutes and then put in the fridge overnight. Next day you will think you just returned from the deli.
SMOKING
If you have a smoker, there are may options here. If you just want a little smokey flavor, you can smoke it either before or after cooking, for about 5 hours. Smoking before cooking will produce a moister, less salty ham.
i COPIED THIS RECIPE AND FOLLOWED IT TO THE LETTER. THE HAM COLOR WAS PERFECT AND IT TASTED LIKE HAM. WE WILL DO A LEAN FRESH HAM NEXT TIME
