Cordon Bleu Ham From the Solomon Islands

[wheels]

Thanks for that Vernon.
I now understand more fully your process.
I do a similar process 10% pump using a hypodermic needle followed by 5 days (or so) immersion. I am lucky enough to be able to get 60ml syringes so not so many refills!
That's a valid point about vac packing - I hadn't thought of that.
Your method is great particularly considering the (lack of) availability of curing chemicals where you live.
I assume from your calculations you are using the US processing Inspectors' calculations handbook guidance for your calculations. I also use this - would that the British government would issue such comprehensive guidance.
I think you are correct in your assumption that the injection has more effect than the dry cure - on its own 5 days dry cure with saltpetre for a lump of meat this size would, I guess, have little effect?
Regards

Phil

[Vernon Smith]

Phil,

Sorry, I've never heard of the US processing inspectors handbook.
I use a set of calculations compiled by Rev. Dr. Vernon Smith JP (me) using the age-old pencil and paper technique.

If the handbook is available on line in PDF format or similar I would be interested to have a squint at a copy. How did you get yours?

All the best

Vernon

[wheels]

Hi Vernon>
The inspectors' handbook is here:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7620-3.pdf
See Oddley's topic here regarding its use:
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=1906

Phil

[Vernon Smith]

I was lucky enough to meet a retired small goods maker a while ago and elicit a lot of useful information from him over a few draughts.
To cut a long story short, he confirmed my opinion that the only significant difference between ham and bacon is in the cooking.

A gammon steak is fried or grilled at a high temperature so it is "bacon" A whole gammon is poached in water at a far lower temperature so it becomes "ham".

He confirmed that most of we amateurs make boiled bacon - not ham - because even simmering water at 95 deg C is far too hot.

At Christmas I had a 12 kg ham to poach so I bought a 30 litre electric urn with a good thermostat and set it at 80 deg C. It took 8 hours for the probe thermometer to reach 68 deg with the ham starting from the fridge at 10 deg. I wasn't concerned by the time because the thermostat setting prevented over-cooking. At 68 deg C I turned everything off and let the ham cool down to ~45 deg. This took a further 4 hours.

I reasoned that such a large ham would take a long time to poach and 80 deg. wouldn't over cook the outside whilst the core temperature was increasing from 10 to 68 deg.

The result was better than ever leading me to the firm conclusion that poaching ham in water not exceeding 80 deg C regardless of the time taken for the core temperature to reach 68 deg C guarantees perfect results. I would appreciate any feed back on this subject from other members wishing to convery their experiences curing and poacning ham

[wallie]

I was once on a cookery course and remember being told:
When braising 'Long and Slow is the way to go.'
I cooked a small ham (less than half the size of yours Vernon) for xmas by bringing the wate in a stockpot to just below boiling then in with the ham and into my oven set at 90c for 6hours.
I had checked the oven temperature with a thermometer to get an accurate 90c.
After 6hours I turned the oven off and left the ham in till cold.
It was delicous, very tender and moist.
I don't have an internal probe so I do not know what temperature the meat finished at.