My ham project

Blackriver · Post by **Blackriver** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 05:32

Hello all I decided to cure a Ham for the holidays. Chuckwagon was kind enough to give me a great recipe!

1/2 gallon of water
60 grams of cure #1
8 ounces of salt
2/3 cup dextrose

Pump ham to 10% of the weight of the ham. Soak in pickle for 5 days. Remove from pickle rinse in cold water. I made enough brine to just cover the ham.

Ham in brine

Ham after curing going into refrigerator overnight uncovered to dry.

It was cold enough outside I could get a fan on the ham to further help the drying process to form the pelicle.

In the smoker with cherry wood took Ham to 150 degrees internal

In the cold water bath

Ham out of cold water bath and ready for the fridge

Finished Ham

The recipe Chuckwagon gave me was perfect! The salt and the brining time was just right. This is exactly how I like my ham. I just want to take the time to thank my friend Chuckwagon for taking time to help answer all of my questions while I was doing this! This was my first real ham project where I actually understand how it works now. Without Chuckwagon's help I would have had a salty unedible ham that no one would like. Now I can proudly have my ham with my wife's and my family! By the way I will never eat store bought again. Thanks again Chuckwagon for the help.

atcNick · Post by **atcNick** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 06:06

Nice! How long did you smoke it for? How was the smoke penetration?

Post by **redzed** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 07:19

Beautiful looking ham. You did an excellent job in pumping and curing since it has such a nice even colour. Congrats!

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 07:54

I must second what Red just stated, you pulled off a perfect looking ham, and I'd think it tastes absolutely great. Boy howdy, maybe one of these days CW will give us a bum-steer and we'll and we'll give him some retribution involving horse snot. Oh, never mind, he's all "down" with that! RAY

PS: Just Kidding CW, you are my absolute hero. You not only give us great recipes for endearing ourselves to loved-ones, your advise and wisdom keeps us from doing harm to ourselves. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as does my entire family. I hope Santa brings you joy and peace this holiday season. RAY

Blackriver · Post by **Blackriver** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 13:04

Thanks a lot for all your kind words about my Ham! Nick it took about 36 hours to get it done. I would have transfered it to a hot water bath to shorten the time but the ham was just a shade to big for my slow roaster. The smoke penetration was great also.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 06:02

Thanks for your kind words gentlemen! And you are most welcome! This is another "payday" for me. I love those days when someone turns out a beautiful project like that. It gives others the inspiration to TRY. And like my ol' pappy told me (many times), "The man who doesn't TRY, doesn't do ANYTHING!"
Scott, that one of the 'pertiest hams I've seen. Good goin' pard! Congrats on a job well done.
And Ray, if you've ever seen a horse "snort snot", ya just can't 'git it outta 'yer mind. We call it "blowin' rollers".

Shucks pard, I happen to like horse snot. I even used a little to polish up that last batch of sausage casings once they were stuffed!

Thank you very much for your kind words. They are VERY much appreciated.
Best Wishes my friends,
Chuckwagon

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 18:15

Hi CW - Blackriver's success inspired me to try my first ham. I have a couple picnics in the pickle - a 9+ and an 11+ pounder. My question for you is, what is the formula that resulted in a 5 day curing time for Blackriver? When I read the Marianski guidance, it says 4 days per pound in a 65-75% brine, and that you can halve that time if you pump. I am using a 60% brine, and pumped 10%, but that still amounts to more than 18 days for the 9 pounder and 22 days for the 11 pounder. Yet Blackriver's beautiful ham took only 5 days. What am I getting wrong?

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/hams-other-meats/hams

Cheers,
Jeff

Post by **Butterbean** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 03:15

Cabonaia wrote:Hi CW - Blackriver's success inspired me to try my first ham. I have a couple picnics in the pickle - a 9+ and an 11+ pounder. My question for you is, what is the formula that resulted in a 5 day curing time for Blackriver? When I read the Marianski guidance, it says 4 days per pound in a 65-75% brine, and that you can halve that time if you pump. I am using a 60% brine, and pumped 10%, but that still amounts to more than 18 days for the 9 pounder and 22 days for the 11 pounder. Yet Blackriver's beautiful ham took only 5 days. What am I getting wrong?

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/hams-other-meats/hams

Cheers,
Jeff

This thread is about what I call a city ham that is not shelf stable. What Marianski is referring to is a shelf stable cured ham or what I call a country ham. A city ham has a much milder flavor like those you buy in the store and these must remain refrigerated. Hope this helps clear things up.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 08:24

Jeff, our pal Butterbean knows his stuff, believe me. He`s right about the "city" hams. He`s posted some great recipes and tips and he`s one of those fellows who never "blows his own horn". Whatever he says about meats, (especially hams), you can pretty much take to the bank.

To answer your question Jeff, I used to make my hams from pretty strong brine. But I found that I was spending more time soaking them in cold water than most other folks. Yes, some fresh-water soaking may be necessary as the object is to get the salt into the cells then, after prescribed period of time, the brine reverses the action and the bulk of the salt re-enters the brine, leaving just a trace behind. If your brine is above 40° SAL, that "trace" can be a little stout. So, I simply lightened up on the concentration a little. I started using 25° SAL brine with 3/4 cup salt and 4 tablespoons Cure #1, and 3/4 cup sugar, in 5 quarts of water. This is the "lighter" brine that I recommended to Scott. It surely has worked for me these past several years. Injected at about 12% by weight, it is left covered in pickle for six or seven days, depending upon the weight of the ham.

Hope this answers your question.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 19:26

Blackriver,

Did you use the brine formula (~50° SAL) that you posted above?

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 23:54

Butterbean and CW - thanks for your responses, they are very helpful. I have to correct myself. I used the same formula that Blackwater used (doubled). So this was a 52/53 degree brine, not 60 as I stated.

Now I wish that I had started these hams a few days earlier instead of Monday night, because on the day they are going to be ready for the smoker I will be working. I don't suppose there is any harm in resting them for a few days in the fridge before smoking them. If so, someone let me know and I'll camp out. Which actually sounds like a pretty nice idea.... "Where's Daddy?" "Out back, sleeping with his hams."

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 00:12

Jeff, resting the hams won't hurt a thing. Keep the temperature as close to 38° as possible. They'll have time to dry completely and will actually improve the equilibrium. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 00:19

Chuckwagon wrote:Jeff, resting the hams won't hurt a thing. Keep the temperature as close to 38° as possible. They'll have time to dry completely and will actually improve the equilibrium. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks Mr. Wagon, I am all over it!

Bubba · Post by **Bubba** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 01:14

Blackriver your ham looks perfect.
I'm interested what flavor the Cherry wood added to the ham, does it taste with a hint of sweet?
I have never used Cherry to smoke.

Dave Zac · Post by **Dave Zac** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 01:19

Outstanding effort. Nothing like success indeed. Congratulations my friend.