Comments on: Guest Post – How to Cure a Ham by My Friend Mike http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/ Because Food Doesn't Have to Come From the Store Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:27:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: CEE http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/comment-page-1/#comment-3852 CEE Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:19:18 +0000 http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=1979#comment-3852 You definitely need to inject a ham that size. It also cuts down on brine time. You would think Ruhlman's book would explain that, but it's the sort of thing you learn from trial and error. I'm brining a 16 pounder as we speak (this time injected all over and especially near the aitch bone) but won't be smoking it. You definitely need to inject a ham that size. It also cuts down on brine time. You would think Ruhlman’s book would explain that, but it’s the sort of thing you learn from trial and error. I’m brining a 16 pounder as we speak (this time injected all over and especially near the aitch bone) but won’t be smoking it.

]]> By: admin http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/comment-page-1/#comment-1999 admin Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:14:20 +0000 http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=1979#comment-1999 Hi Julia, Mike did it! Or did you mean the part where I field dressed Chubby? It was definitely new territory for me to say the least. In high school I had a hard time dissecting my frog but I've come a long ways. ;p You know, I'm not sure how long a ham can hang out in the fridge once it's been smoked. I'm assuming it lasts longer than uncured meat since that was why meat was cured historically but I try not to let meat hang out for longer than a week just to be safe. I think Mike said the brine process was 10 days in the fridge pre-smoking though. Hope that helps. Hi Julia, Mike did it! Or did you mean the part where I field dressed Chubby? It was definitely new territory for me to say the least. In high school I had a hard time dissecting my frog but I’ve come a long ways. ;p

You know, I’m not sure how long a ham can hang out in the fridge once it’s been smoked. I’m assuming it lasts longer than uncured meat since that was why meat was cured historically but I try not to let meat hang out for longer than a week just to be safe. I think Mike said the brine process was 10 days in the fridge pre-smoking though. Hope that helps.

]]> By: Jared http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/comment-page-1/#comment-1995 Jared Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:43:20 +0000 http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=1979#comment-1995 Mike - Excellent post! many thanks for the details and pics, Jared Mike – Excellent post!
many thanks for the details and pics,
Jared

]]> By: julia http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/comment-page-1/#comment-1992 julia Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:10:36 +0000 http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=1979#comment-1992 Such a great post, thanks for the step by step. Annette--so amazing that you did all that. I appreciate the explicit comment. Might be a silly question, but how long does the ham stay? In the fridge? Such a great post, thanks for the step by step. Annette–so amazing that you did all that. I appreciate the explicit comment. Might be a silly question, but how long does the ham stay? In the fridge?

]]> By: admin http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/comment-page-1/#comment-1969 admin Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:20:49 +0000 http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=1979#comment-1969 Hi Brittney, one of my friends had done this before but I had not. I'm assuming anyone who has made it this far down in a ham curing post is not meat squeamish but if you are stop reading NOW. Once we had cut the skin around the ankles we peeled it back (using sharp knives, not easy like a rabbit) all the way down the pig. At the neck we used a saw to cut off the head. The removal of the innards was a little tricky but once that was done we sawed down the middle to separate the pig into halves which we then sent up to Silvana to have them cut into primal cuts. Next time I will pay Silvana the $60 to come do the farm kill for me and then I may just take it from there. It was something like 53 cents/# for them to butcher but there weren't too many more cuts to do at that point. We did all the hard work (and poorly I might add since we failed to get all the lard for soap making or leaf lard for baking). The Herb Farm has a lunch and butcher/charcuterie class this month for a surprising price so you may want to check into that but the nice thing about Bruce's class is you get the pig to take home. Where did you get pheasant? I haven't had one in years and boy are they tasty! But then so is the pork. :) Hi Brittney, one of my friends had done this before but I had not. I’m assuming anyone who has made it this far down in a ham curing post is not meat squeamish but if you are stop reading NOW.

Once we had cut the skin around the ankles we peeled it back (using sharp knives, not easy like a rabbit) all the way down the pig. At the neck we used a saw to cut off the head. The removal of the innards was a little tricky but once that was done we sawed down the middle to separate the pig into halves which we then sent up to Silvana to have them cut into primal cuts. Next time I will pay Silvana the $60 to come do the farm kill for me and then I may just take it from there. It was something like 53 cents/# for them to butcher but there weren’t too many more cuts to do at that point. We did all the hard work (and poorly I might add since we failed to get all the lard for soap making or leaf lard for baking).

The Herb Farm has a lunch and butcher/charcuterie class this month for a surprising price so you may want to check into that but the nice thing about Bruce’s class is you get the pig to take home.

Where did you get pheasant? I haven’t had one in years and boy are they tasty! But then so is the pork. :)

]]> By: brittney http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/04/08/guest-post-how-to-cure-a-ham/comment-page-1/#comment-1967 brittney Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:07:08 +0000 http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=1979#comment-1967 This is such a great step-by-step post! We're looking into getting a pig from Bruce. Tyler wants to take the class and learn how to butch his own pig. Is that what you did or did you have someone in your group that knew how to butcher? We got the charcuterie book you recommended from the library. This is a book we want to own! Our smoked pheasant came out so good. I can't wait to try some of the recipes with pork! This is such a great step-by-step post! We’re looking into getting a pig from Bruce. Tyler wants to take the class and learn how to butch his own pig. Is that what you did or did you have someone in your group that knew how to butcher? We got the charcuterie book you recommended from the library. This is a book we want to own! Our smoked pheasant came out so good. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes with pork!

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