Ham curing

[Vernon Smith]

I am looking for simple but flavoursome methods of making ham. Has anyone got some recipes please? I slaughter a pig every 2 weeks but there's a limit to how much I can use for bacon and sausages so I want to give ham a try. Either shoulder or hind leg, I'm flexible. Simply, how should I cure it and cook it? I recall that some is on the bone and some is off. I would like to try both. I suspect some recipes are complicated but here in the Solomon's I will have to keep the curing simple. Things like cider and molasses are unavailable. I can cold smoke too. My pigs are usually quite large so the ham joints are about 15 or 20 kg each. Any help will be gratefully accepted.
Regards,
Vernon Smith
[/quote]

[Epicurohn]

This site is full of posted recipes. Just do a search or manually check all related postings.


David

[dougal]

Vernon, there's probably too much stuff going to be returned by a simple search for 'ham' you'll have to specify what you are after...

However, a good starting point might be this recent thread
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=1736


Just a couple of tangential points
- if you can get yeast (even bread yeast) and apple juice, (uht stuff in a cardboard pack is fine as long as its preservative-free), then you can make your own cider...
- and don't they grow sugar in the Solomons? But if you really can't get molasses, you may be able to make a close-enough imitation from the darkest brown sugar you can find, a drop of water and maybe a drop of rum

[Oddley]

Vernon, look at the two links below it might give you some ideas. I suggest you don't use the recipes as is, as they are probably using too much nitrate.

Maynard Davies Adventures of a Bacon Curer

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... ard+davies

Farmhouse Fare

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... house+fare

[Vernon Smith]

Thanks guys,
I will look through the suggested threads and have a go then report back when I have got completely "LOST, DAZED AND CONFUSED".
Regards,
Vernon