Talk to me like I'm 3 - Gotta have it...Black Pepper Smoked Ham
 

The Black Pepper Smoked Ham Recipe looks INCREDIBLE!

I tried to understand the two threads, but I am kinda at a loss regarding the process from start to finish (Including smoking times and temps).

What are the exact steps for making this? I gotta have it on my Christmas table. I'm gonna gag if I have to eat another spiral sliced "Normal" ham.

Help a starving (Well, okay...that's a stretch), brother out.

Sup Brother... Here's a great base to start from.

For a 12-15lb ham use:
1 Gallon Water
1.5 cup Kosher Salt
2 cup Brown Sugar
1.5 oz Cure #1 (Pink salt)

That's a good base for your brine. Add whatever spices & herbs you want. Add any un-crushed spices you'd like (eg cloves, cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns, garlic, chilis) to hot water & stir to dissolve (Make sure to dissolve the pink salt first). Cover & steep for a bit then put it in the fridge and let it cool to 40˚ before adding meat. Brine for 1.5-2 lbs a day (12lb ham = 6 days) Then you remove from the brine, wash it off, dry it, roll in coarse fresh ground black pepper then smoke @ 250-275 until an IT of 155˚ & there you go. :thumb:

Cheers

Thanks for the help.

Couple questions if I may:

I've never seen or used pink salt. Do all grocery stores carry it or is it a specialty item? Ie..where do you buy it?

Where do you find a 12-15 pound butt? I don't think I've ever seen one that big?..xcept on Kim Kar......whatever.

You can see if a local butcher has pink salt - also called Instacure #1 or Prague Powder. There are many online resources as well - http://www.sausagemaker.com/, http://www.butcher-packer.com/, even Amazon.

You may also find it in specialty stores, but it's doubtful you'll find it in a grocery store.

You can use a fresh ham - comes from the hindquarter. I think in Phrasty's other ham thread he was using a butt as a tester for a new recipe rather than commit a whole ham to an experiment.

You can use any size butt you'd like. I just use a 15 lb butt per gallon of brine... Its more as a reference... so If you have a 8 lb butt use about half a gallon of brine/cure. The crucial thing is to make sure that the meat is totally submerged.

And btw... I love butt hams. :becky: They are sometimes called "Cottage Hams". However a true cottage ham is the butt trimmed to just the money muscle (neck muscle at the top of the butt). I just debone mine and tie the whole thing up nice and tight.

Cheers

Just bought the cure online....the adventure begins. :-D

Phartsy, just out of curiousity, could you use a pork loin for this
recipe? Would that work?

You would end up with something closer to Canadian Bacon.

Cool. I like that too! Would I end up with something close to Canadian bacon...or is this how Canadian bacon is made?

It's the same process. The difference would be the salt to sugar ratio. This style of ham is "usually" sweeter while bacons are usually saltier IMO.

That's another one hooked Phrasty!

What's that... about a dozen this year!:thumb:

Cheers!

Bill

Do you leave the ham in the fridge while it is in the brine or is it just stored in a cool dark place...basement or cellar?

Fridge...it's pork.

Thanks, I know it was kind of a stupid question but I had to make sure.
:doh:

Yeah you definitely want to keep this in the fridge. Ideal temps are between 35-40˚.
Too cold and the curing process slows down. Too warm and you're in the danger zone.

Cheers

thanks phrasty!

i'm in the gathering stage for a ham currently myself. got the prague #1, some pickling spice, plenty of rubs and whatnot to choose from.

could you tell me what the seasoned sugar recipe was in PT#2?