Needing help with Curing Ham
 

I ordered a whole fresh ham it should be around 20 pounds or so. Not very cheap so I don't want to FARK it up. Anyhow I'm looking for help on the curing. I found a recipe by DizzyPig, and it says if using mortons tender quick to just substite the salt and cure for Mortons tender quick. That would be putting 3 cups of Mortons tender quick in the brine. Just seems like an awful lot. Don't think there is even 3 cups in a bag of the Tender Quick. I found this info on the web and it basically calls for a more powerful injection solution and then less in the actual brine. 1 table spoon per gallon. What do you guys think?

The brine:
Pretty basic
1cup kosher salt per gallon of water.
½ cup brown sugar per gallon of water.
1Tbs pork seasoning (premixed or your choice)
1TBS lemon pepper.
2Tsp Onion powder
1Tsp Garlic powder
1Tsp adobo seasoning.
1TBS of Morton's Tender quick per gallon.

NOTE:
Flavor brine consists of water and salt. Other ingredients may include sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, fruit juices, beer, liquor, bay leaves, pickling spices, cloves, garlic, onion, chilies, citrus fruits, peppercorns, and other herbs and spices. Many recipes call for bringing the ingredients to a boil to dissolve the sugars and bring out the flavor of herbs, then cooling the mixture to below 40°F before use.

The pump:
I use Morton's Tender quick.
1cup Morton’s tender quick to 4 cups water.
Boil until all the salt is dissolved.
I like to add ½TBS lemon pepper and ½TBS brown sugar to the pump as well.
Cool it to 40°!

Dark or light Brown Sugar?

I use 1 teaspoon per pound...Man, 3 cups of TQ and you could do a lot of meat!

This is a real cure ham
Sugar Cured Ham

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Try this Sugar Cured Ham recipe, or post your own recipe for Sugar Cured Ham



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Recipe look good to you?

Sugar Cured Ham Ingredients

1 pt Jefferson Island Salt or can 1 tb Ground red pepper 2 tb Black pepper
Instructions for Sugar Cured Ham

We raise hogs and salt or sugar cure our hams and bacon. You will need FRESH hams, preferably from a salughter house as these are fresher than those available at grocery stores. You will need the above ingredients FOR EACH JOINT (local name for ham or shoulder.) To cure two hams, double the ingredients. Mix all above and rub well into meat, filling hole in end of the bone. Wrap in brown paper and place in a cloth sack. Hang hock (small end) down. Time will cure it. Additional details: Should be hung in a cool (around 40 degrees) place. Thats why before refrigeration hogs were only killed in the winter. If you are curing without refrigeration, try to do it when the temperature will remain from 35 to 50 degrees for at least the first three days. After that its okay if it goes up or down more. You can hang the meat in an old refrigerator to cure it or if you are curing outside and the temp goes haywire, you can move it to the refrig. Needless to day, if you are hanging the meat in an out building or garage, hang it high enough to keep it out of the reach of dogs. They do love fresh ham. The ham should hang for at least 6 month (I prefer a year) before being cut. If you want to smoke the ham, it is best to wait about three months from hanging before doing it. Be aware that you may loose a ham. By that I do not mean that someone will steal it, though, I suppose that is possible. I mean that it may ruin. Thats one of the chances you take. Weve lost a few but most of them have been salted down rather than sugar cured. It is possible to sugar cure bacon in your refrigerator using Morton Sugar Cure (using recipe on bag) and then smoke it. Its GREAT! Much better than what you buy in the store. Yes, I can just hear all the health food people groaning at all this talk of ham and bacon and smoke. Ah, cholesteral (sp?) and salt and cancer causing smoke! May not be good for you but 99.9% of all taste buds will vote for it! Virginia Petty Kentucky Hog Farmer From Geminis MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

Well since I did not get many response I will post a couple more recipes I found surfing the net. Believe me there ain't much out there!

Ham Recipe

You guys might have your own recipes but here is what I made last week. It turned out really well. It had the pink color of store-bought ham and it tasted even better. Michelle really like it and she is usually suspicious of the wild game that I cook.



1 cup Kosher salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
½ cup Tender Quick
bay leaves
pickling spice
cloves
1 ½ gallons water
fresh ham (bone-in)

Dissolve salt, sugar, and Tender Quick in ½ gallon warm water. Add remaining water and ice if you want to use the brine right away. Add the seasonings.

Use a sharpening steel to create some holes around the bone and through the center of the meat. Place the ham in brine solution for 4 ½ days (Monday night to Saturday morning). Soak ham in fresh water for 2 hours before cooking. Cook to an internal temperature of 155. Use Hickory wood for flavor.


Here is a recipe for honey cured hams.
Just in time for the holidays.
1 10-12lb fresh ham, shank or shoulder
2 1/2 quarts of ice cold water 38-40 deg.
4 oz. salt (not iodized)
2 oz. Prague powder #1 or Modern Cure
4 oz. pure honey
Mix all the above together well to blend the honey.
Spray pump the ham using an injector and 16 oz. of
the above brine. Put the pumped ham into a suitable
container, not aluminium, and let soak in the br ine
for 5-7 days. Soak a stockenett in some liquid smoke
(to make it easier to peel of the stocknett bag)then
place the ham in the stock. bag. Wedge the bag in a
S.S. hanging hook and place in the smoker @130 deg. F.
for one hour without s moke. After the first hour
increase the temp on the smoker to 160 deg. and smoke
the ham for about 8-12 hours or until the internal
temp of the ham is 145-150 deg. F. Place in the
fridge. When ready to serve, heat in an oven set to 325 deg.and heat the ham for about 2 hrs. Glaze the ham the last
1/2 hr. with the following.
Glaze:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pure honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
That's it. Mmmm good. Be sure that the ham is in the
fridge for the 5-7 days while i n the brine.

Take a look at this site

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewf...e1b53b495d4d8e

I have made things from here that are great.

I cured a 14lb fresh ham using the Dizzy Pig recipe last winter and it was great. I did use the 3 cup of TQ rather than salt and Prague Powder. Also I only used 1 T of pickling spice rather than 3. After the ham came out of the cure/brine, I just rinsed it good, I did not soak it as mentioned in the recipe.
I didn't glaze it either, cause I don't care for glaze on my ham.

that looks good man

Heres a nice thread I found on another site.

Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams Seaharvester http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey I bought a 35lb. pig, and raised it to over 350lb. this past summer.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0446.jpg
After butchering we ground the shoulders&trimmings to make about 40 lb.s of brats, and sausage.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0464.jpg
I got 8 beautiful racks of baby back ribs
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0458.jpg
Rendering the fat we ended up with about 10lbs. of the worlds best pork rinds&6 2lb. coffee cans of lard
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0462.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0460.jpg


Top #897902 - 09/23/08 08:05 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: Seaharvester] Seaharvester http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey I brewed up 18 gallons of brine, then injected it into the hams
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0450.jpg
Placed hams&bacon into buckets and soaked in chilled brine. hams get 10 day soak, bacon 3 days in fridge kept at 38 degrees.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0456.jpg


Top #897908 - 09/23/08 08:06 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: Seaharvester] Seaharvester http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey After soaking in brine we smoke the bacon and brats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwgMxiA_g_E


Top #897909 - 09/23/08 08:07 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: Seaharvester] Ricky Cox http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...oyote1-1-2.jpg
Registered: 03/17/08
Posts: 1380
Loc: Lexington, Texas Where's the picture of some of those brats cooking? http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...ault/smile.gif Looks good and I know it a lot of work too.
_________________________
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Top #897913 - 09/23/08 08:08 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: Seaharvester] Seaharvester http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Fineshed product
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0478.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0480.jpg



Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Sliced the bacon on my slicer
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0482.jpg
Ended up with about 38 lbs, of bacon
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0487.jpg

www.yoteman.com





http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0474.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0492.jpg
This is the whole ham with a nice finishing glaze
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0510.jpg
This is the boned out one that I sliced into lunch meat!It is wiith out doubt the best deer ham in the world!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0500.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0498.jpg





Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey This is the hog hams&hocks. One ham was left whole bone in, for the holidays. The other I boned out before smoking, and sliced into 1/4"ham steaks, and lunch meat.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0518.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0516.jpg



Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Originally Posted By: Pasadena
That looks great.What kind of wood did use for the smoke?


Hickory, sugar maple, and apple.



Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 13
Loc: Pa Nice Job, no waste either . Im buying a pig now lol



Registered: 12/25/06
Posts: 391
Loc: northwest Ohio You really are an artist with a pig. http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/grin.gif lol I wish you lived closer to me. I raise about 7,000 hogs a year. Oh the beautiful pictures we could make together. http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...ault/laugh.gif



Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Originally Posted By: Flattailin
Nice Job, no waste either . Im buying a pig now lol


No waste, I even smoked the bones for my lil girl
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0514.jpg



Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Originally Posted By: minktrapper6099
You really are an artist with a pig. http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/grin.gif lol I wish you lived closer to me. I raise about 7,000 hogs a year. Oh the beautiful pictures we could make together. http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...ault/laugh.gif

That would cut into my deer hunting time! http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...ault/laugh.gif


Top #897965 - 09/23/08 08:28 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: Flattailin] David D http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 04/17/08
Posts: 50
Loc: NE North Carolina How about some pictures of your smoker. I have been wanting to build one and not sure where to start.




Top #897984 - 09/23/08 08:34 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: David D] timberchopper http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 02/17/08
Posts: 102
Loc: ek, ks CAn you discuss the brine in more detail? Did you inject the same brind as you soaked it in? or two different recipes? What was your brine made out of if you dont mind giving out the trade secrets.


Top #897991 - 09/23/08 08:37 PM http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...fault/book.gif Re: Hog butchering, curing and smoking bacon&hams [Re: David D] freeburgtrapper http://www.trapperman.com/forum/imag...rk/offline.gif
trapper

Registered: 12/25/06
Posts: 434
Loc: freeburg,illinois ah yes i love butchering hogs. we put all our shoulders in sausage also. you can get porksteaks that taste the same anywhwere but you cant get good sausage so thats why we make ours into pork sausage or brats or polish sausage. we never have brine cured our hams and bacon but i would like to see the brines and how you do it. we just inject and rub and let sit turning them in the middle of the week. bacon just get stacked with salt packed inbetween layers. great looking set up.

P.S the deer hams looked great but i got sick on one that someone had done one time. havent been able to put another piece in my mouth since.
matt
_________________________
I dont thank God for what I have.
I thank Him for giving me the fortitude to do it myself.



Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Originally Posted By: timberchopper
CAn you discuss the brine in more detail? Did you inject the same brind as you soaked it in? or two different recipes? What was your brine made out of if you dont mind giving out the trade secrets.


I use the same brine on the hams&bacon, it is very easy to make, and taste awesome For twenty pounds of meat use 3 cups of brown sugar 3 tablespoons Pickling Spice, 8 tablespoons Prague Powder #1, 4 cloves Garlic, 3 tablespoons of Chicago steak rub (You can substitute for any steak rub), 3 cups of sea salt, 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil for ten minutes then chill to 38 degrees. Besure to inject a lot along the bone, and about every 2 square inches of meat on both sides. Then fully submerge in non metal containers and chil for 10 days. Then you place hams in a container and soak in ice water for 2 hours, replace the ice water and soak for two more hors, this removes the access salt from the cure. Then they are ready for the smoker.

edit to add (3 cups of sea salt)




Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Originally Posted By: Clark
So Seaharvester, out of a 350lb pig, how many pounds do you expect to put away as hams, sausage, ribs, etc? Just curious what the yield is. Looks great and you're making me hungry even though I just ate!

Clark

I generally scold the hogs and scrape the hair off, this was the first time I skinned one so the yeild on lard and pork rinds were much less then usual. With smoking, the hams went from about 30lbs. a piece to about twenty pounds. I had about 50 lbs. of bacon, it rendered 38 lbs. when it was done. 40 lbs. of brats and sausage after smoking about 30 lbs. I have 8 very nice loin roast at about 50lbs. fresh meat. 20 lbs of ribs Id say roughly 225 lbs of product in total. It is a ton of work, and takes a lot of time, but the taste is superb, and it is a lot of fun. I'd say it is about the same as buying at the grocery store when it comes to cost, but I know what my hog ate.


Edited by Seaharvester (09/23/08 09:26 PM)








Top
Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 306
Loc: South Jersey Thanks, The hams were so large I had to cut the shank off, to fit in the 6 gallon buckets, this made it easy to inject between the tendons in the joint.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...d/IMG_0452.jpg


Edited by Seaharvester (09/23/08 11:10 PM)




Registered: 03/01/07
Posts: 5
Loc: Minnesota Quote:
I use the same brine on the hams&bacon, it is very easy to make, and taste awesome For twenty pounds of meat use 3 cups of brown sugar 3 tablespoons Pickling Spice, 8 tablespoons Prague Powder #1, 4 cloves Garlic, 3 tablespoons of Chicago steak rub (You can substitute for any steak rub), 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil for ten minutes then chill to 38 degrees. Besure to inject a lot along the bone, and about every 2 square inches of meat on both sides. Then fully submerge in non metal containers and chil for 10 days. Then you place hams in a container and soak in ice water for 2 hours, replace the ice water and soak for two more hors, this removes the access salt from the cure. Then they are ready for the smoker.



Did you use this same brine for the deer hams? Those pictures of the deer hams made my mouth water! What did you use for the finishing glaze? In your recipe is the only salt you used in the steak rub? How long and at what temp did you smoke them. I have been wanting to smoke venison hams for a couple of years now and this has really spurred me on.