Using Franco's Parma Ham Cure

[TonyE]

Folks

I would like to buy one of Franco's Parms Ham cure's, and cure a piece of Belly Pork or Loin of about 2Kgs.

Are there instructions with the pack of cure, that tell you how much cure to use, and when it should be used.

I noticed while reading this forum, that when curing a whole Leg, that Lard and Peppercorns were applied to the meat to protect it, would this technique need to be applied to a small piece of meat as well.

Am I right in thinking that the sausagemaking.org web site has a Guide to making Parms Ham, or is this still to be activated, when I selected this item, it comes up with a blank page.

I have previously bought the Sweet Bacon cure with rave results from friends and family, my thanks for an outstanding product.

Tony Edwards

[Paul Kribs]

Tony

I took the precaution of saving the instructions some time back:

For best results use boned pork, for beginners we recommend starting with a small piece of meat and then progressing to full legs when more experienced. Only when you are confident should a 'bone in' full leg be cured as this requires more supervision and has a greater risk of spoilage.

Regular pack enough to cure a leg of ham approximately 6 kilos, or a selection of smaller cuts of pork.
Large pack enough to cure 20 kilos of pork i.e. 4 or 5 full legs or numerous small joints.
Use 80 grams of cure per kilo of meat.
Method
1. Chill the meat overnight
2. Rub the meat with half of the cure mixture, if using a boned joint ensure that the inner surface of the meat is properly coated, massage the cure into any crevices.
3. Wrap the meat tightly in cling film or seal in a Ziploc bag or vacuum pack.
4. Lay the meat skin side down in a non reactive container i.e. glass or plastic.
5. Leave the meat to cure in the fridge for 15 days.
6. Unwrap the meat and repeat step 2 with the remaining cure mixture.
7. Leave the meat to cure for another 15 days.
8. Unwrap the meat and leave to soak in tepid water for half an hour.
9. Hang the ham for 3 hours in a draughty cool room.
10. Smear the meat side of the ham with a mixture of lard and black pepper.
11. Hang the ham in a warm room for 3 days, (an airing cupboard is ideal).
12. Hang the ham for a minimum of 30 days at 15 degrees Celsius with a 70% relative humidity.

Ingredients: Sea salt, Demerara sugar, Ground black pepper, Dried Juniper berries, Garlic powder, Preservatives (Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite)

The lard is applied in an attempt to regulate the drying out process, and the cracked pepper is there to stop flies from using the meat as a nursery. I must say, I have not attempted using the cure on a belly before.. might have to give it a go.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[TonyE]

Outstanding!!!!!


Thanks for your help Paul, on this and many other occasions


Tony Edwards

[saucisson]

You can cure belly pork this way, it's a cheap way to try out curing, but your window of opportunity is quite small as it rapidly turns into shoe leather as it loses water. It's still delicious but it becomes harder to cut .

[Paul Kribs]

saucisson

Thanks for the cautionary advice, it has actually convinced me that I should try it. I have cured loin eye, and whole loin with success but found the texture somewhat soft, very delicious but would like it to have been a tad drier.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[vinner]

Hi, Gents:

I just did whole picnic, parma style, came out beautifully. The fatmeat content was nice, and even the fat tasted great. I want to try curing pork back fat into lardo, but haven't found a recipe. Paul, do you know of one?

[Paul Kribs]

vinner

I have found a recipe for Lardo, in Ruhlman & Polcyn's Charcuterie book. I cannot vouch for the recipe as I have not tried it.

Initially, you must be aware that light damages fat, so consideration must be given to cure in a dark place.

The basic dry cure:
450 grams kosher salt
225 grams sugar
50 grams pink salt (10 teaspoons)

The recipe:
1/2 the recipe of basic dry cure
1.5 kilograms pork backfat
6 bay leaves
2 bunches fresh thyme
40 grams black peppercorns

method:
Sprinkle a quarter of the dry cure mix into a non-reactive tray. Place the back fat on top and sprinkle the remaining cure mix over it. Distribute the remaining ingredients on top of the fat and cover with plastic wrap, then wrap in foil to protect the fat from light.
Weight the fat with a 5 kilo weight and refrigerate for 10 - 12 days, turning it and rubbing it twice to redistribute the cure. The fat is cured when it feels uniformly dense and stiff.
Remove the fat from the pan and rinse thoroughly under cold water, and pat dry.
Hang the fat to dry in a cool, dark humid place or 18 -24 days. (ideally 60�F/15�C. with 60%-70% relative humidity.

Let us know how it turns out..

Regards, Paul Kribs

[vinner]

Thanks, PK, will do.

[TonyE]

Thanks for your input Saucisson


I was wondering if I should reduce the curing time for a smaller cut of meat, I was going to start with a 2Kgs piece - Any suggestions would be appreciated


Regards - Tony Edwards

[vinner]

TonyE:
Generally when curing, you would cure for the same amount of time. What changes is the amount of cure (but not the percent of cure to meat) and the aging time. Look for a 30% to 35% loss of weight from precured to cured. 2 KGS should probably age for at least 3 weeks to a month.

[akesingland]

Hi

I cured a 2 kg pork belly for 15 days, using the full amount of cure. Rinsed, dried an aired as in the instructions. Larded and air dried for 30 days. This turned out like pancetta. I cut it in two then vac packed it.

Cheers
Adam

[TonyE]

Thanks for the help guys

I had forgotten (shame on me) about weight loss, that is the key.
I may cure it for 15 days, then hang it with lard and pepper until the weight lose is between 30-35% - I just need to buy the cure!!!!!!


Regards - Tony Edwards

[saucisson]

Adam (Akesingland) What was it like larding up a 2kg piece of belly? With such a large surface area I'd imagine a bit of a mess, or it would be in my hands . For that reason I wrapped my pieces up in grease proof paper to retard moisture loss instead, so that could be a factor as to why mine get too dry eventually, as I don't then vac pack them or anything.

Dave

[akesingland]

Dave

It was not a problem. I mixed the lard and pepper in a small bowl and then spread it on as if you were buttering a slice of bread. Did I mention it had its skin on? So I only had to do the top and the sides.

Cheers
Adam