2 Hams for Division Playoff Party 1/12/2013

Hams in the works..

2 Fresh Hams
1 Bag Tender Quick
1.75 Gallons of water
1 quart Apple Juice
3 Cups Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Dark Molasses
1/4 Cup Honey
3 Tablespoons of Pickling Spice
1 Tablespoon Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
4 Cloves Fresh Garlic



Bring water to boil in stainless steel pot (sterilizes water and container), add salt and stir until dissolved, add sugar and Tender Quick and stir until dissolved, remove from heat. Add spices and apple juice, stir until completely mixed and cool to 40°.

Wash rinse 2 fresh 12 lb hams (fresh pork) with running water and add to brine. Also inject brine into the meat close to the bone. Cover and keep between 36° and 40° allow ample time for brining (aprox 10 days).



I am now in the brining stage and will post my progress...

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Leadog said:

Your brine sound great, lookin forward to hearing how is was. Wanna make sure you meant 10 DAYS. I got 2 - 8 lb hams and 2 brined chickens in this morning at 5am. Party starts a 1pm, with Rose Bowl at 3 CA. time.

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This is a curing brine which differs from a standard brine for meat.

Yes, it is 10 days, because it is a curing brine which turns fresh pork into what we know as a "ham" (pink in color). The curing brine changes the texture, color, and flavor of the meat into a new product. After curing, the meat is smoked, and the end result is a smoked ham.

Here is one ham after a 10 day cure and two different 4 hour soaks in fresh clear water.





Now a short soak in fresh apple cider and then into the cold smoker for 4 hours.
Wood of choice is a mixture of hickory and apple wood.





Will continue the pictures when I get ready for the hot smoker.

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Coming off the hot smoker....







Mission Complete...

Smoking Westy said:

Oh my...looking real good! Thanks for keeping me in the loop, doing one of these is high on my list.

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It's a lot easier than one can imagine..

The real key is to have an extra refrigerator that you can keep he meat in for the 10 day brining. Years before I had a spare refrigerator I used to look at the 10 day weather forecast and keep the covered pans outside in the grill with the outside temperatures staying between 34 and 40. But that goes back over 12 years ago since I did that, but it worked well.

Brining a ham is like smoking meat, there are many different ways to cure the meat, but they all work.