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Curing a ham?

Big E
Big E Posts: 51
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Had a whole hog go into the butcher today and I always have them cure the hams. Just for something different I thought about curing my own. Is this a diffucult process or do I let them do it again? They do an awesome job for me everytime. I just like trying different things.
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Comments

  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
    This a case for the Stike Man!

    Seriously, if you're thinking about curing your own meats, you can't go wrong with this book. I personally haven't done a whole ham yet (probably because I don't care for ham), but everything else I've done from Ruhlman has been exceptional: Bacon, Canadian bacon, pastrami, etc. I'm planning on tasso ham soon, maybe next week.
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  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    It is a pretty intensive process.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    i didn't find it intensive at all. there are a couple ways of doing it, but it's essentially; 1.)inject a pickle near the bone 2.)apply a dry cure on the exterior
    3.)toss in the fridge and wait a week-ish.

    one of the many things i like about curing is the payoff is much greater than the effort. it's far more intensive to make 5 pounds of sausage than 20 pounds of ham ;)
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Big E...I do a lot of curing. If your guys do a good job curing your hams, allow them to do so. If you truly have an interest in curing, start with something like the belly, a loin, or a small butt. Don't commit yourself to the ham until you know that curing and smoking is something you enjoy, and can pull off. JMO!! It is truly a relatively easy process, but there is science and formulas behind it. Do a small cure or 50 before you jump to the whole ham. ;)
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    is simply 'brining' it in the pickle with no injecting at all. there's debate about flavor and 'bone taint', but the first one i did i did this way. really simple. takes comparativelylonger though.

    -stike
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  • Big E
    Big E Posts: 51
    Thanks to all for the input. Just put my feelers out there to see where I should start when it comes to curing if I dare to.
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  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    My bad.I remember my Grandfather curing hams in the smokehouse.It was a lotta work and took forever.I guess it's like anything else there are quick fixes for anything nowdays. :whistle: :(
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  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    Bellies,loins and stuff to start with.JMHO. :)
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