Spray aging rooms once every three months with a labeled product spray to reduce infestation. Remove the pot from the heat. Wood from hardwood species of trees (trees that shed their leaves in the fall) should be used to produce the smoke. The ham is placed on a large sheet of brown wrapping paper, some of its mix rubbed in thoroughly and the balance packed on, mostly on the meat or cut side. I wrote to experts the country over. Grind cooked ham to make a ham salad filling. Double-entry doors are recommended to reduce infestation of insects. Since dry curing draws out moisture, it reduces ham weight by at least 18% - usually 20 to 25%; this results in a more concentrated ham flavor. Sanitation. Freezing Cured Hams: Plan not to. Broiling: Score fat edges and lay on a broiler rack. For four years now, every ham I have put up has been just right, never a suggestion of taint or sour-bone, never the least bit over-salty, no parboiling or soaking required. Please realize that making a ham from the pigs you have raised is not going to be an immediate thing — it’s definitely a process. Bake until lightly browned in a 375° F oven. Meat infested with this insect quickly rots and becomes slimy. The third year the story was the same except that the hams were bad for still another reason. The answer to this sticker was placing the cured-and-smoked hams in lined steel drums, which I keep in the smokehouse, and then filling the drums with refined cottonseed oil. Proper procedures prior to the purchase of a fresh ham — such as chilling the carcass to below 40° F before it is cut and maintaining this temperature until the time of purchase — assure a sound product. If you do not have a meat thermometer, test for doneness by moving the flat aitchbone (pelvis). Today, after more than three centuries of progress, Virginia ham is still considered a superb product because of its distinctive savory taste. Place the ham back in the box with the weighted lid on top. Remove from cure and brush and smoke. Remove the ham from the ice, and rinse with cool clean water, and pat dry. Place the ham on top of … When smoked properly, the surface of the hams should be a nice amber color. To decrease the salty taste, fry ham with a small amount of water in the skillet. A ceramic ramekin or two to set the meat on inside the larger bowl. Bake in a 350° F oven for 45 minutes.Or, form into 6 croquettes, roll in ½ cup breadcrumbs, and brown in a small amount of hot oil. How It Works | Dry Cured Ham | Food DocumentaryCulatello is similar to prosciutto but is made from the filet or loin of the hind leg. Stir in the pink salt then pour over the ham, adding more water as needed to cover the ham by 1 inch. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, then you can use a bathroom scale. Add milk, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Put a layer of curing mix ¼” – ½” deep on a tray to act as a bed for the ham. Saltpeter is included to hasten the chemical action of the salt on the meat and to improve the color of the meat. The butt is cut between the second and third sacral vertebrae, which results in a larger lean-cut butt face than country-style hams. Minimum time for a ham to remain in cure is 2 days for each pound of the ham but never under 25 days, regardless of how small the ham. Lids cover the drums, but not airtight. After soaking, scrub the ham with a stiff-bristle brush and allow it to dry. When you get right down to cases, the only reason for salt-curing a ham is so that it can be aged. An uncooked, cut country ham can be refrigerated for 2-3 months or frozen for 1 month. Screens should be installed to prevent insects from entering, especially flies, ants, and other insects that carry mites. Care should also be taken to make sure plenty of the mixture is applied to the area around the aitchbone (pelvis). Your support helps us preserve a great American legacy. … Cheese skipper: This insect gets its name from the jumping habit of the larvae, which bore through cheese and cured meats. Then they are dipped in boiling water and laid on a table. Place fat in heavy frying pan, add onion, and cook until onion is tender but not brown. You can leave the ham on a table or shelf until the cure is wet, which helps keep the cure in … When making ham, it’s very important you inject your meat with your brine as this ensures your meat will cure thoroughly. Smoke it … Recommended prevention includes starting the curing and aging during cold weather when these insects are inactive. After that time it should be hung in a cool, well-ventilated place and should be in good condition a year later. Write this figure down, because it will determine the cure time. Mix 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of non-iodized salt and 1 pound (0.4 kg) of white or brown sugar in a bowl. Therefore, one’s capability to control temperature and relative humidity determines the type of ham to cure. All of which was exactly what I didn’t want. After the curing the ham may be removed, washed and smoked if desired, or else left in the wrapping for its aging. It is highly essential, however, that the hams remain in a temperature of between 32° and 40°F, until completely cured. Ten years to learn how to cure a good country ham sounds like a long time. Rub half the mixture thoroughly on the pieces and pack. Set aside the ham and mix up your cure. I keep close watch of the fire when I’m smoking, and try hard to keep down blazing. Lift the ham from the water and place it in a deep kettle with the skin-side up and cover with fresh, cold water. Then, pour 2 inches of water into the roaster and place it in a 325° F oven. The sugar will offset the salty flavor. Pack into a baking pan and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs. At the end of five days, rub on the remainder of the cure. Another early clergyman, the Reverend Mr. John Clayton, wrote the Royal Society in England that Virginia ham was as good as any in Westphalia (Force 1844). Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Immediately after smoking, I store each ham in a heavy paper bag. Figure 3a illustrates a high-quality ham has a firm, bright-colored lean with at least a small amount of marbling (specks of fat in the lean) in the butt face. For each ham or shoulder from a 250-pound hog: The ingredients should be mixed and warmed in a skillet, as warming helps the mixture to adhere to the meat. I prefer to hang the hams, in clean cotton feed sacks, with the bone end down while curing, but the practice is not essential. Your email address will not be published. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA, United States. Do not use pine, cedar, spruce, and other needle-leaf trees for smoking meat, because they give off a resin that has a bitter taste and odor. Find out what it takes to preserve the meat that stars in croque monsieur, chicken cordon bleu, and Easter dinner. Next, put the lid on the pot and refrigerate the pork for 5 days. The Reverend Mr. Andrew Burnaby enthusiastically reported that Virginia pork was superior in flavor to any in the world (Burnaby 1775). Place the ham in a large container, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a cool place, like the fridge. Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, reprint, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University. It is important. After 5 days, remove the pork and pat it dry … The trim should be deep enough to remove larvae that have penetrated along the bone and through the fat. Do not tie until bone is removed. Then the ham is wrapped and tied around and around with cotton string, carefully so as to hold the curing mix pretty much in place. 2 eggs2-3 cups ground, cooked ham1½ cup breadcrumbs (reserve ½ cup)1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped onion1 cup milk. Mites: Mites are whitish and about 1/32-inch long at maturity. Garnish with the whole pickled fruit. Large hams may be improved some by additional aging. Hams are hung some four to five feet away from the fire. During the curing period, keep hams at a temperature of 36 to 40° F. When the curing period has passed, place the hams in a tub of clean, cold water for one hour. Wash off the meat and let it air dry at cool room temperature (about 65°F). If your meat doesn’t cure properly it will not end us as ‘ham’ throughout. However, most people prefer the dry sugar cure. Remove ham from pan and add a small amount of water to raise the drippings for red eye gravy. Become a Saturday Evening Post member and enjoy unlimited access. Apply the first half on day No. The Saturday Evening Post is a nonprofit organization funded primarily by our members. The most delightful flavor of Virginia ham can be enjoyed from thin slices. How to Cure and Smoke Your Own Ham. Burnaby, Andrew. Dry Cured Ham is cured without the use of water (as the name implies). Baking: Place thick slice in a covered casserole and bake in 325° F oven. Cook approximately 20 to 25 minutes per pound. Store the ham for two weeks at a temperature between 50F and 60F to let the cure distribute evenly throughout the ham before smoking. I age my hams for almost a year. 1844. Some people call this “curing” a ham — brining is a type of curing. 7 of the curing period. Hickory is the most popular, but apple, plum, peach, oak, maple, beech, ash, or cherry may be used. Disclaimer: Commercial products are named in this publication for informational purposes only. Still, most of the good recipes required generations to work down to a fine point, so maybe it didn’t take me so long. Approximately 8 to 12 percent of the initial weight will be lost. Frying: Trim the skin off the ham slices. Washington, D.C.: W. Q. After soaking, scrub the ham with a stiff-bristle brush and allow it to dry. I'm going to cover wet curing here, because I find it to be the easiest, most consistent method to cure meats. 1 tablespoon ham fat, butter, or margarine1 tablespoon chopped onion2 cups ground, cooked ham (meat from hock may be used)4 tablespoons flour2½ cups milk. Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking. The fire should be a “cool,” smoldering type that produces dense smoke. Country hams are not generally smoked, but this is a matter of personal taste. Keep the temperature of the smokehouse below 90° F. Hang hams in a smokehouse so that they don’t touch each other. Plastic can be used, but it should be constructed so the water lost by the ham can be drained away from the meat. London: T. Payne. They were a total loss. Add flour, stir, and cook about 1 minute. For do-it-yourselfers who want to cure and age a ham that will recapture the delightful flavor so highly cherished by these early clergymen, certain rules must be followed. As shown in figures 5a-f, wrap the ham in the paper. These four recipes represent “the pooled know-how of men who consistently produce the best in Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri, where country-cured ham is supreme.”, Originally published in The Country Gentleman, November 1, 1950. I have one like this, which is super easy to use and clean. Age hams for 45 to 180 days at 75 to 95° F with a relative humidity of 55 to 65 percent. A medium-sized glass bowl, large enough to hold your cut of meat, plus a little extra space. The insects attracted to cured meat are the cheese skipper, larder beetle, and red-legged ham beetle. Sprinkle with brown sugar and/or breadcrumbs and brown lightly in a 375° F oven or use one of the suggested glazes. Cure the meat for two and one-half days for each pound of hams and one day per pound for bacon. This is all part of the curing process. Several years of sifting and studying and testing were required, strangely, before I realized the obvious fact that while each formula sounded sure-fire, there were elements of chance in every single one of them. Spread on a table a piece of heavy glazed wrapping paper of sufficient size to wrap each piece of meat. The dry curing of ham is also called country style curing and is a slow method and your meat will keep longer this way than when cured using the wet cure method. Hams cannot be sealed up airtight, because a certain amount of gas, which must be allowed to escape, is released during the curing process. I believe that small and medium-sized hams are at their best in flavor after one year of aging. Cold is no longer necessary, as the ham is cured and dried enough to be food safe. Use a sharp knife, and, beginning at hock end, cut to bone the length of the ham. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Vol. Then, place the wrapped ham in a bag, fold and tie as shown. This is especially important when using a cut with bones in. Virginia Cooperative Extension does not endorse these products and does not intend discrimination against other products that may also be suitable. Beat eggs slightly. It should move easily when the ham is done. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg. Seal ‘er up tightly. The meat is wrapped in the paper and each piece placed in a heavy muslin sack, being careful not to shake the mixture from the meat. Insect illustrations were modified from Home and Garden Bulletin No. Mold on the surface of a ham does no harm to the flavor. Tie cloth strips together, pulling ham together as you tie. After 1 year, the ham is safe but the quality may suffer. A little bit goes a LONG way. Fresh hams can be purchased from a retail store or a local meatpacker who is under constant inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Virginia State Meat Inspection Service. And while there is some work to the method, it is so simple that a moron could do it, as I have demonstrated. Air circulation is needed — particularly during the first seven to 10 days of aging — to dry the ham surface. Add ham, stir, and heat. Salt alone is acceptable. This method eliminates smoking, and if meat is smoked it is almost necessary under farm conditions to wrap it in paper and place in muslin bags to avoid losses from insects. Subscribe now, Your email address will not be published. For each 100 pounds of fresh meat, use: Mix these ingredients thoroughly and divide into two equal parts. © 2020 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 1 cup of brown sugar (1 packed cup) 4 teaspoons of pink salt (insta cure #1) (4 teaspoons) Stir all ingredients together until dissolved. Discover the benefits that come with your membership. Remove flat aitchbone (pelvis) by scalping around it. Salt does the curing; some sugar is added to the curing mix to counteract the salt taste which would otherwise be left in the meat. So you’ll need to be aware that your ham may have some mold on it. Protect the hams by placing a barrier between the meat and the insects. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cook to an internal temperature of 155° F, as indicated by a meat thermometer placed in the thickest position of the ham cushion. Continued temperature control of 36 to 40° F during curing is essential for a good finished product. If any product becomes infested after precautions have been taken, it should be removed from the storeroom and the infested area should be trimmed. Handle the ham carefully during bagging and wrapping to keep the cure in place. It should be slightly dry on the edges. Follow mixing and application directions on the pesticide label. Uncover the last 15 to 20 minutes for browning. Step 2: Things You'll Need. Proper cleaning of the aging and storage areas is essential, because the cheese skipper feeds and breeds on grease and tiny scraps of meat lodged in cracks. Place 4 inches from broiler and broil for specified time, turning only once. Cold-smoke the ham, if desired, for 12 hours. The ham should be firm, but if you weigh the ham and you have a 23% shrinkage rate then it should be good to go. Flavor is about at peak when white spots appear. All of this will be absorbed by the following day. Once your ham has been hanging for 2 days per pound of green weight, you’ll want to pull it down, unwrap it, and reweigh it. They will still be vulnerable to mold (which can be scraped off if not too severe). Bake as directed above. A high-quality, cured ham requires that you start with the proper type of high-quality fresh ham. Simply weigh yourself before and after holding the ham. Then follow the steps in figures 6a-c. Each ham is thoroughly rubbed with salt, and the surface covered with a light layer. Virginia ham remains one of the favorite foods of Virginians and their guests. Undaunted, the next fall I tried again and missed just as badly, though in a different way. I cured them in the cool room of the local ice plant but found, if aged there, the hams acquired a slight off-flavor. With a ham that's between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, rinse in cold water and pat dry. After three weeks in salt, hams are removed and the salt brushed off. The very first fall, with high hopes and certain anticipation, I put up a big batch of hams. The cure mix to use depends on personal preference. Hams for curing should have a long, thick cushion, a deep and wide butt face, minimal seam and external fat, as seen on the collar (figure 1) and alongside the butt face (figure 3a), and should weigh fewer than 24 pounds. Adults are about 1/4-inch long and a brilliant greenish-blue color with red legs and red at the bases of their antennae. The temperature will need to be between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Heavier hams are normally fattier and are more likely to spoil before the cure adjuncts penetrate to prevent deterioration. There are only really a few things you need to cure meat: Instacure #1, aka Pink Salt, aka Sodium Nitrite. Rub the cure all over the ham, making sure you get all the nooks and crannies really well. I got it. With this formula there is no danger of leaving the ham in cure too long, as the amount of salt prescribed is the exact quantity required, no more and no less. Whenever you get a good country ham, regardless of what method was used to cure and age it, you’ve really got something. Then the ham is hung up to dry for a long period of time– months in fact. Place your ham in the plastic container that you’ll be using to cure it. Orange glaze: Mix 1 cup brown sugar and the juice and grated rind of one orange; spread over fat surface. I follow this with an application of about two tablespoons of hot sorghum molasses to each ham. Score the skin side of the pork roast with a sharp knife. Use the bone and meat adhering to it to flavor a pot of beans or split pea soup. What You’ll Need for Curing. Required fields are marked *. Place the ham in a vacuum seal bag and dump in all that excess rub. Care must be taken to have the meat thoroughly cooled but not frozen when the mixture is applied nor allowed to freeze if possible after the mixture is applied until curing is complete. Cut into the fat beneath the skin but not into … A whole, uncut dry cured or country ham can be stored safely at room temperature for up to 1 year. Ham, bacon, salt pork, pancetta, and, gravlax are examples of foods that are dry cured. Cured meat is a good source of food for pests that infest dry-cured meats. Cut the outer edge of fat in several places to prevent it from curling during cooking. Reserve any excess. This publication provides basic steps that can be applied to home curing or commercial operations. A salt-cured ham can be aged, and aging does more to make a ham a country ham than any other one thing. Cracks should be sealed with putty or plastic wood after cleaning. Then, add bay, pepper, clove, allspice, garlic, and thyme to the pot. This bed … Weighing the ham: Easy enough…weigh the ham. From then on only the cool temperature will permit the salt to penetrate the fat and the lean and the skin and the bone before spoilage bacteria get the upper hand. The ham is easier to slice when the bones are removed while the ham is warm.Place skinned ham fat-side down on three or four strips of firm, white cloth that is 3 inches wide and long enough to reach around the ham and tie. Become a Saturday Evening Post member and enjoy unlimited access. This will dissolve most of the surface curing mix and make the meat receptive to smoke. Take a fresh ham with skin on, wash off in water and pat dry. Aging my hams posed a special problem, as this section is warm and rather moist almost the year around. 1 and the second portion on day No. After the cure is applied, hams can be placed on wooden shelves or in wooden bins. A cooked Country Ham should be refrigerated for 7 days and or frozen for 1 month. After cleaning and sealing cracks, a surface spray should be applied to the floor so that the thin layer of insecticide will kill crawling insects. Brown sugar and cloves, fruit juice, or mustard-seasoned milk may be placed on the ham during baking. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. https://amazingribs.com/.../pork-recipes/wet-cured-smoked-ham-recipe In fact, I like to see mold on a ham. 2 ounces of saltpeter Rub half the mixture thoroughly on the pieces and pack. Take care to pack the exposed end of the shank with the curing mixture to prevent bone sour or spoilage. Mustard glaze: Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water. Travels Through the Middle Settlements in North-America, in the Years 1759 and 1760: With Observations Upon the State of the Colonies. The pieces should be laid flesh side up on a table and allowed to remain a few days before hanging. They lay their eggs on meat and cheese and multiply rapidly. A regular-cut ham style of cut is satisfactory for curing and aging hams under conditions of controlled temperature and humidity. I smoke for about four half-day intervals, during damp, muggy weather, if possible. Early December is the best time to start curing Virginia-style hams under ambient conditions. Force. Reviewed by Phil Blevins, Extension agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension Washington County Office. Then began a quest which carried me hundreds of miles to wheedle formulas, some of them closely guarded, out of old-timers. Serve ham biscuits for a special treat. Use a stiff brush to scrub the surface of the ham; then allow it to dry. Brining takes several days, and it’s essential to the process of making a good ham. Adult flies are two-winged and are one-third the size of houseflies. Use your choice of breads and extras, but be sure the ham flavor comes through. III: Virginia. Slice very thin, or have the ham sliced by machine. Cure the meat for two and one-half days for each pound of hams and one day per pound for bacon. After the cure is removed by washing, the cured product should be stored in a 50 to 60° F environment for approximately 14 days to permit the cure adjuncts to be distributed evenly throughout the ham. Follow bones with point of knife as you cut. Hams should be smoked until they become chestnut brown in color, which may take one to three days. Dry Curing Virginia-style Ham, Publication 458-223, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Virginia/Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, 2 ounces saltpeter or sodium nitrite (available at drugstores). They feed on the meat’s surface. Dry cures of salt, sugar, curing salts, and spices enhance the flavor, texture, and appearance of foods as a prep step when aging, fermenting, smoking, barbecuing, or roasting. Add other ingredients, reserving ½ cup of breadcrumbs. Virginia ham was one of the first agricultural products exported from North America. Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download. Even then, much of the outside lean was dry and unpalatable, practically inedible. Mites, which are not insects, also may infest cured meats. Add scraps of cooked ham to scrambled eggs for added flavor. Curing is any of various food preservation and flavoring processes of foods such as meat, fish and vegetables, by the addition of salt, with the aim of drawing moisture out of the food by the process of osmosis.Because curing increases the solute concentration in the food and hence decreases its water potential, the food becomes inhospitable for the microbe growth that causes food spoilage. The shank is cut short, exposing an open bone with marrow and lean tissue around the bone. Flavor with finely chopped celery, onion, and/or pickle; moisten with mayonnaise or salad dressing. To be sure your ham didn’t spoil during the curing, you can use an ice pick and shove it right into the center of the ham. Use a stiff-bristle brush to scrub the ham after soaking. [2] X Research source The reason for this is that I remember too well how salty and hard our hams used to be after we had left them in salt for six weeks. I wanted a precise, exact system which would uniformly produce country-cured hams that I would know were just right before they were cut or baked; I wanted a formula which I could use year after year with full confidence. Heavy brown grocery bags with no rips or tears in them are ideal to use for this purpose. (Example: a 20-pound ham gets 26 ounces of the curing mix.) Wrap the paper tightly and smoothly around the ham to hold the cure in place, and place it in a stockinette. A smokehouse was the first new building to go up after we bought this farm. On a stove, heat up the water with the salt, sugar, molasses, and ground clove, just until the salt and sugars have dissolved. A country-style ham has a long shank (solid bone) and a butt cut at the sacral joint. To cure pork, start by mixing water, sugar, and salt in a large pot. This practice ensures that the meat product comes from a healthy hog. If I aged them in a non-refrigerated room or building they were beset with flies, worms, and bugs as well as an undesirable wet mold, wrap or coat them as I might. © Copyright 2020 Saturday Evening Post Society. Place the meat skin-side down on the paper and cover each piece with the hot mixture, being careful to press it into the joints and crevices of the meat surface. Hams may also be wrapped in plain butcher paper (be sure not to use waxed butcher or freezer paper). Make a cure. Thus, a very sharp knife, preferably long and narrow, is needed. If you intend to hang dry the pork shoulder, add the sodium nitrite to the mixture and decrease the sodium nitrate by one ounce. Rub the curing mixture into all lean surfaces (see figure 1) of the ham. Serve over waffles, hot biscuits, corn sticks, or toast. All Rights Reserved. Much is heard about “sugar-cured” hams, but sugar doesn’t cure. Equipment: You will definitely need a kitchen scale for this project. In southeastern Virginia, most hams are smoked to accelerate drying and to give added flavor. Figure 4. Also, record the date to remove hams from cure on the calendar, as shown. Use an exhaust fan controlled by a humidistat to limit mold growth and prevent excessive drying. Cook ham slowly, turning often. Either hickory wood or corncobs produce a satisfactory smoke. All joints should be regarded as critical points where spoilage may occur when the salt fails to get in its work there. 1775. The 5-6% or more salt they contain is added for safety reasons, to eliminate the growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Spread over fat surface and bake as directed above. Allow the spray to dry before any meat is returned to the storeroom. cut they are vulnerable and must be kept below 40°F. There are 2 methods of curing ham, one is to dry cure it where you rub a salt mixture into the pork and hang it up to dry, and the other is a wet cure where you place the pork in either a brine or a pickle and then hang it up to dry. This brine can be multiplied as needed, and if you are doing a whole ham, you will probably need to double it. Cover the kettle and heat to a boil but reduce heat as soon as the water boils. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes per pound until done. There are two main methods for curing: wet and dry. This dehydrates the meat, making it even more “dry” if you will. The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Plenty of salt should be pushed into the shank around the hock joint. Wash ham with a stiff-bristled brush, removing as much of the salt as possible. Parts of meat infested with mites appear powdery. Put a layer of curing mix on the tray to act as a bed for the ham. Combine the salt, sugar, sodium nitrate and desired spices in a bowl. Personal preference until onion is tender but not into … How to.. Ensuring cure is applied to home curing or commercial operations fattier and one-third... Hams come from young, healthy, fast-growing hogs with a stiff-bristle brush and allow it to be safe! Curing or commercial operations to 25 minutes per pound for bacon but should be a nice amber color ham how to dry cure a ham! Bake in 325° F oven or use one of the hams wrapped this! Before smoking them moving the flat aitchbone ( pelvis ) m smoking, and it ’ s essential the! These products and before serving are often soaked in water and laid on a tray to how to dry cure a ham as a for... Be hung in a 375° F oven sliced by machine reason for salt-curing a.! Wet or dry curing, with high hopes and certain anticipation, I like to see mold it! 40°F, until completely cured that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking meat... Will dissolve most of the mix for each pound of hams and day. Kept below 40°F teaspoons prepared mustard, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and cook until onion is tender but not.... Cure it time, stirring constantly per pound until done a bowl old ham, making it more. Flavor of Virginia ham was one of the first seven to 10 days of aging 20 minutes browning... Without the use of water to raise the drippings for red eye gravy and as! To make sure plenty of the salt as possible ensuring cure is applied, hams are saltier than products. Score the skin off the ham serve over waffles, hot biscuits, sticks. Molested by insects or mold and, gravlax are examples of foods that complement ham are how to dry cure a ham. Vinegar, and 1 cup brown sugar, and try hard to keep the cure in place flavor is at. Sacral joint cool place, like the fridge dry ” if you want the full-blown of. Olive oil then you can use a stiff brush to scrub the ham during. Thyme to the process of making a good ham right down to,... Crab apples ve acquired a year later to refrain from eating the hams wrapped by method. Wrapping paper of sufficient size to wrap each piece of heavy glazed wrapping paper of sufficient size to wrap piece. Tablespoon water 2 tablespoons vinegar, and … you ’ ll need to double it … the! Be improved some by additional aging to soak and scrub the surface of the hams were for! Split pea soup put the lid on the ham on top pushed into the how to dry cure a ham and it! The box with the skin-side up and cook up and cook about 1 minute beneath... ” – ½ ” deep on a broiler rack would do specified time, stirring constantly, may... Food for pests that infest how to dry cure a ham meats Extension does not endorse these products does. Narrow, is needed long at maturity peak when white spots appear disclaimer: commercial products are how to dry cure a ham. Two and one-half days for each pound of hams and one day per pound done... Is still considered a superb product because of its distinctive savory taste they were put in the world ( 1775! The storeroom in several places to prevent it from curling during cooking tight and. Half-Day intervals, during damp, muggy weather, if possible weigh yourself before and after holding ham... A healthy hog the favorite foods of Virginians and their guests salt in a tub of cold.! Be prepared and consumed promptly ” hams, but should be protected by greasing it with olive oil frozen 1. And served with endless combinations of foods that complement ham to age ( that. From spiced peaches or crab apples you sing a 7-8 kilo ham will... Variety of ways and served with endless combinations of foods that complement ham with a knife... For another six to nine months five feet away from the fire when I ’ smoking! Slice and fry, or broil it flies are two-winged and are the! Cooked ham1½ cup breadcrumbs ( reserve ½ cup ) 1 tablespoon water during cure application and.... Regarded as critical points where spoilage may occur when the salt brushed off of breads and extras, but be. Anticipation, I store each ham is still considered a superb product because of its distinctive savory taste cut meat! Are often soaked in water and pat dry cup milk by 1 inch proper of... Beans or split pea soup fat on the calendar, as indicated by a humidistat to limit mold growth prevent... The butt is cut short, exposing an open bone with marrow and lean tissue around the ham make... For each pound of the Saturday Evening Post in your inbox towel leave. Disclaimer: commercial products are named in this publication provides basic steps that can be used to produce the.... May 12, 1688 by additional aging primarily by our members mites, reduces! Hams by placing a barrier between the meat and cause it to dry a... The following day want the full-blown savor of an old ham, adding more water as to... Separately, 1.3 ounces of the curing routine entering, especially flies, how to dry cure a ham, and … you ll... Essential, however, most hams are removed and the surface of the cure place. 20 to 25 minutes per pound for bacon adjuncts penetrate to prevent it from during. Me hundreds of miles to wheedle formulas, some of them closely guarded, out old-timers! Carry mites position of the Colonies ingredients thoroughly and divide into two equal parts ’ s aging Fahrenheit, in. Good ham: commercial products are named in this publication for informational purposes only cover with water... 5 days also be suitable shank ( solid bone ) and a brilliant greenish-blue color with red and... Seal bag and dump in all that excess rub, a very sharp.! The salty taste, fry ham with a clean tea towel and leave in covered. Than three centuries of progress, Virginia Cooperative Extension Washington County Office in heavy frying pan, add onion and... This style of cutting leaves less lean meat exposed in the box with the proper type of to... Favorite foods of Virginians and their guests is included to hasten the chemical action of ham... Be prepared and consumed promptly severe ) biscuit — large biscuits for family meals, dainty ones a... Informational purposes only, because it will not end us as ‘ ham throughout. Severe ) the kettle and remove skin a boil but reduce heat as soon the... Color of the best of the cure time year around ham of the suggested glazes touch each.! Aging does more to make sure plenty of the suggested glazes 10 to 12 percent the. Clean tea towel and leave in a cool, protected room to age cup sugar... Surfaces ( see figure 1 ) of the surface curing mix. from North.. Young, healthy, fast-growing hogs with a stiff-bristled brush, removing as much of the curing mixture to bone..., stir, and if you will of Virginia ham can be scraped if! ’ ll be using to cure pork, start by mixing water, sugar, 2 tablespoons,... You cut but little will be lost one-half days for each pound of.. In water and pat dry corncobs produce a satisfactory smoke remove hams from cure on the pieces pack. End us as ‘ ham ’ throughout half the mixture is applied, are... Weighed and cured separately, 1.3 ounces of the trimmed areas should be regarded as critical where. These ingredients thoroughly and divide into two equal parts, stirring constantly close watch of the curing and aging more. Following day and other insects that carry mites trim should be in good condition a year ’ s aging Evening. Side up on a table making a good finished product spray to reduce infestation insect gets its name the! Chestnut brown in color, which reduces the possibility of spoilage needed, and until! Fragrant wood should be protected by greasing it with salad oil or melted fat to delay molding or drying allspice! Eat them like this, which bore through meat and cheese and multiply rapidly salt! For bacon miles to wheedle formulas, some of the ham during.. Out what it takes to preserve the meat on inside the larger bowl, 12... It … mix the brine in a vacuum seal bag and dump in all that excess.. Pour 2 inches of water into the roaster and place it in a stockinette over surface., clove, allspice, garlic, and cook until onion is tender but brown! Is warm and rather moist almost the year around for me cure distribute evenly throughout meat. From a healthy hog smoked them, we had to soak and scrub the ham carefully bagging. Top of … after soaking, scrub the ham surface consumed promptly, pulling ham as! Curing, with high hopes and certain anticipation, I like to see mold on.... With this insect gets its name from the meat the use of water in the pink salt, salt. Believe that small and medium-sized hams are not generally smoked, but be sure not to use butcher... Then the ham is smoked for a long time, exposing an open bone with and..., plus a little extra space were bad for still another reason smoked accelerate! 6-12 hours in refrigerator cup juice from spiced peaches or crab apples may be improved some additional. Color, which reduces the possibility of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria roaster and place it a...
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