My first Ham

[Piker]

I was finally able to buy a leg of pork of a size that I can handle in my small fridge. I Have been all over the internet looking for recipes and methods. There seems to be a lot of different ways out there to do it. Some remove the skin some do not, some inject the ham while others do not. A few just say put the ham in the described brine and wait 2 days per lb. for it to cure. I do not want to screw this up so any first hand experience would be greatly appreciated. Thks Piker

[Tenpoint5]

Pike you can use this one.
It was derived from the Rytek Kutas book Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing. Hope it helps.

Skin is off and trim the fat but not completely.

Brine:
5 quarts ice water 38-40*
1lb salt
1 cup powdered dextrose
2/3 cup Insta Cure #1

Mix all together in a food grade 5 gallon bucket. Weigh the ham. The ham is injected with 10% by weight of the above brine. I use 15%. Ham should be pumped in the shank and around all bones in the ham. Ham is then submerged in the brine. Be sure the ham is submerged beneath the pickle. Place in 38-40* refrigerator or cooler for 5-7 days. Place in stockinette and place in smoker. Smoke as follows

Preheat smoker to 120*
hold 120* vent wide open 12 hours then
increase to 140* vent 1/2 open apply smoke for 8 hours then
increase to 165* vent 1/2 until 142* IT or for a fully cooked Ham 152-155*

The brine injecting formula:

Pump injecting formula is generally this...

15% x Xoz = oz per pump

My ham is around 22 lb or 352 oz; being 16oz per pound.

This now gives me  an easy plug in formula

.15 x 352oz =52.8oz needed for pumping

The injector I use holds 4oz at a time. Rounding off I get this...
52/4=13 or 52.8/4=13.2

So that means 13 full injections, or 13.2 if you wish to get technical, but the .2 isn't a problem

[Habanero Smoker]

Here is another method you can use. I'm taking my ham out of the cure tomorrow. I remove the rind and all surface fat.

Smoked Cured Ham

[Piker]

Thanks guys my ham is only 10lbs. so I will put it in the container and cover it with water. Then I will measure the water and mix the brine accordingly. I have done a few porkloins for can. bacon and they worked good. I see it is going to take quite awhile and I am going deer hunting as this is the last week of the season. So will start it when I get back and show progress reports. Thks Piker

[Piker]

Hi Ihave finally got the hamin the brine and is due to come out Sat morning. I also have read the smoking instructions but right now we have deep snow and the temp. is minus 30F and with my OBS in a unheated shed I do not know if I can keep the temp constant unless I stay up all night. Is there any other way I can finish this ham in a shorter time? thks Piker

[_Bear_]

Hey Piker, it looks like it is getting warmer out. -16* here this morning with a wind chill of -23. If you could do your ham on Friday, that looks like the best day we are going to have for a few days, high of -9* and a low of -16*. I am going to brave the cold today and smoke 2 pieces of tenderloin in this cold, hopefully it will work OK.

[Habanero Smoker]

You can air dry it uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, then you can eliminate the drying period in the smoker. I have done that a couple of times and it works well. The last few hours of the drying time should be at room temperature, prior to placing it in the smoker. Apply the smoke a 130°F - 140°F, then raise the temperature to 220°F. Or take it out of the smoker after the smoke has been applied, and move it to a 220 ° preheated oven, until you hit an internal temperature of 152°F. I would roast it uncovered, but I would keep an eye on it. Or maybe cover it initially then finished uncovered.

Or you can skip the smoking, and just roast it in the oven at 220°F.

[Piker]

thanks guys for the info. I think I will use Habs method. I like a little smoke so i can Handle it in one day. thks again Piker

[RowJuigoopigH]

I've been eating Spam quite happily for 8 years now, but I recently heard ate a really rotten piece of Spam, and this was unfortunately for Spam around the time I discovered the wonder of Ham.

Could Spam and Ham possibly live in harmony? Which processed meat will reign supreme?

[Piker]

When my ham was done curing I sampled a bit to test the saltiness and soaked it in water for a few hrs. By the time I was done the weather had deteriated to blowing snow and 35f below. So I could not even get to the shed for smoking. I wrapped it up real tight and into the freezer until Xmas eve. I cooked it normally and finished it off with Habs glaze. Had the whole family here and they said it was the best ham they had ever eaten. Mind you all of them had only store brought ham before including myself and I have to admit I was very surprised. So now I have orders for about 6 of them so thats gonna take a while. There was nothing left of a 10 lb. ham and a 6 lb. beef roast that I cooked also, for a dozen people. I hope I get to smoke the next one. Piker

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm glad everything eventually worked out for you. Now you really got your hands full of curing hams. :)