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GrannyX4
GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
in EggHead Forum
I want to make "American style brown sugar glaze ham" in the Charcuterie book that Cen-Tex made. Recipe calls for a fresh ham with an aitch bone removed. All I can find are butts and picnics. Would it make a huge difference or should I seek out a "fresh ham"? ;;)
Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • HDumptyEsq
    HDumptyEsq Posts: 1,095
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    Typically a fresh ham is a back leg - large and lean and easy to carve. Picnics are the front leg going up to the shoulder with more cartilage and connective tissue and a pain in the a#s to slice neatly. The butt, as you probably already know is the shoulder - wonderful, fatty, moist and great low and slow but won't carve anything like a ham and probably why it gets pulled. I'd go for the ham for that recipe.

    Tony in Brentwood, TN.

    Medium BGE, New Braunfels off-set smoker, 3-burner Charbroiler gasser, mainly used for Eggcessory  storage, old electric upright now used for Amaz-N-Smoker.

    "I like cooking with wine - sometimes I put it in the food." - W. C. Fields

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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Thanks for the info. Going to look for a ham. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Austin Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
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    If it says to remove the aitch bone then it is referring to the hind end.  
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Thanks. Where are all the hind ends? I can't find one in our area. I call the meat markets and grocery stores. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
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    All we have are hind ends here.  I wonder where all the front ends are?
    NOLA
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited January 2014
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    If I understand it correctly, a fresh ham isn't really a ham. It is neither cured nor smoked, just a pork loin tasting cut. If you buy a butt or shoulder, you will be starting with a whole different, umm, animal.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    In Florida!
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    Is that wrong?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Carolina Q said:
    If I understand it correctly, a fresh ham isn't really a ham. It is neither cured nor smoked, just a pork loin tasting cut. If you buy a butt or shoulder, you will be starting with a whole different, umm, animal.


    I guess there is a big difference between the front end and the back end. I have never cooked a fresh ham before. Cen-Tex's ham looked so good and I wanted to give it a go. Who knew it would be so hard to find.
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    In Central PA, you can easily find fresh hams starting just after Thanksgiving until New Years.  After that, need to talk to a butcher.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Hope this works.

     

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I'll try this

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Arrrrghhhh

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
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    henapple said:
    Is that wrong?
    @henapple quit moonin us. :@)

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    One more


    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    LS. Loser
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    Can't wait to see the pic @Little_Steven is trying to post following the pic of the 'pork butt'
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    That is Firefox, IE with compatibility on and compatibility off! Can not post links or pics anymore. Here it is manually http://virtualweberbullet.com/meatcharts.html

    http://virtualweberbullet.com/meatcharts.html

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    Not what I was expecting, but a great reference.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Good info on that forum

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Thank you @LittleSteven. It is a great visual chart. I called 5 grocery stores and 2 meat markets today looking for the fresh ham. I will plan a little further ahead next time I want to make a cured fresh ham. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Find a small butcher shop or meat market near you. They typically order special requests, Or, if you have a Publix near you, talk to the meat manager. They can place special orders, too.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    GrannyX4, thank you for posting this. I can no longer eat standard ham as it contains a gazzilion mg of sodium. However, your post got me thinking. I don't have the Charcuterie book, but I did find this...


    Not ham ham, but it has only 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a 10 lb piece of meat! Plus whatever sodium pork has naturally. It simply cannot taste the same as the ham I am used to, it just can't, but it might be an acceptable alternative. I intend to find out.

    Good luck finding your fresh ham! Thanks again!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Yep, they would place the order but I wanted to cook it for the Super Bowl and today was the day it needed to go in the brine. I didn't think it would be that hard to find. Also I didn't know the difference between the front end and the back but nowwwwwww I do. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Huge difference. Completely different texture. If you get a slightly smaller ham, or cut more of the leg hock off, you could still get it brined properly. Some people even inject with brine prior to putting in the brine to cut down on time and make sure they get even brining throughout meat. You have 10 days if you find one tomorrow. Normal brine recommendation is one day for every 2 lbs, I believe. A 10 pounder would only need a five day soak. Most whole fresh hams you find will be around 12-15 lbs.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    @CarolinaQ I look forward to your cooking experiment. I hope you will post the results. @Mayberry you are right that I could get a smaller one for a shorter curing time but life sometimes gets in the way and I don't have the time to fudge with it. Today was my one and only day. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    GrannyX4 said:
    Thank you @LittleSteven. It is a great visual chart. I called 5 grocery stores and 2 meat markets today looking for the fresh ham. I will plan a little further ahead next time I want to make a cured fresh ham. ;;)
    If you have an Oriental market nearby you might get one. My local one had them on sale for $0.69 per pound when I was in last.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,275
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    GrannyX4 said:
    Thanks. Where are all the hind ends? I can't find one in our area. I call the meat markets and grocery stores. ;;)
    I think they are all in Congress :))
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    billyray said:
    GrannyX4 said:
    Thanks. Where are all the hind ends? I can't find one in our area. I call the meat markets and grocery stores. ;;)
    I think they are all in Congress :))

    My thoughts too!
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Little Steven said:
    GrannyX4 said:
    Thank you @LittleSteven. It is a great visual chart. I called 5 grocery stores and 2 meat markets today looking for the fresh ham. I will plan a little further ahead next time I want to make a cured fresh ham. ;;)
    If you have an Oriental market nearby you might get one. My local one had them on sale for $0.69 per pound when I was in last.

    Never thought about an Asian market. I will check them out too.
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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