www.sausagemaking.org

After what I considered a success with the beer and chocolate sausage I am considering a beer ham.
I have come by a reduced price lump of loin.
Im thinking of a combination cure maybe l.5% salt and 1% sugar.
Im going to use a Belgian abbey beer that went into the sausage as I thought a dark beer may be a bit much.
Though to be fair Im using a 6%injection and the sausage had over 20% beer.
Also I would like a bit of pepper in there.
Is it best to rub the pepper in and what sort of quantity to give a hint and not much more?
Also with a low salt cure would I be better of rubbing moer than half (to help the pepper)?
The intention is to cut a steak off and fry this would be another bacon chop,the rest I would simmer as any other ham and maybe bake after.
All thoughts,observations and ridicule are most welcome

Jim

Hi Jim,

Does the beer go in 'as is' or cooked first? assuming the former - just wondering whether you can infuse the beer with the pepper first somehow.

Sounds nice, but possible quite bitter? might need a tad more sweetness (something malty perhaps?)

What about trying a Hawkshead Brodie's Prime or similar - dark beer works well. The only issue I see is minor and it's that I prefer a chop (or similar) to be slightly more salty than I do a cold slicing ham.

I've only done beer cures by immersion curing so look forward to hearing about this.

Phil

Ive thought a bit more How about I rub the salt,sugar and cure as you would with a dry cure and then inject the beer
I like the idea of smashing up a couple of peppercorns and leaving them to infuse.
So how long?.
Phil if youve been happy with the Hakeshead Ill give it a go.Thinking about it the Belgian abbey beer sausage,it had chocolate in it.
The bacon chop is just a free experiment so as to speak the others Ive done have been sweetcured with maple sugar and (better) honey Its the ham Im really interested in.

Jim

I didn't use the Hawkshead Jim - but I used one very like it - Nethergate Growler.

Phil

if you can be bothered I would toast the peppercorns to get some oils loosened up and then drop them hot into the beer the night before you mix your brine.

I too have only used beer in longer immersion cures so am very interested in how the flavour comes through on this one

Im happy injecting and mixing and matching with combination curing.
When I was immersion curing using 2-1 method I found that joints at about 1kg gained about 6% hence my 6% injection.
I suppose I could go to 8 or 10%.
Ill try the toasting. need to pick up the beer tomorrow .
Oops toast the peppercorns and throw them in the beer or crush.?
Thanks.
Jim

Just done the deed went with 1.75% salt(inc cure) and 1% sugar. beer was Cumbrian Legendary Ales dark ale Grasmoor infused with a couple of crushed peppercorns .
Rubbed all the dry stuff then injected the beer at 10%

Jim

cheers

Thanks.The other 400 ml went down well,and quickly

Jim

It's funny how there's always some let over!

Another benefit of injection curing.

Be fair chaps I did up the injection from 6 to 10%. Im turning it twice a day to try and get the beer well distributed.
I injected some treacle once and though the taste was good I got blotches of colour through the ham.

Jim

Yes, you have to be careful what you inject; I got black marks in a ham because I used powdered allspice instead of crushed berries.

Phil

Here it is.No sign of dark ale.I will have the rather thin chop for breakfast or brunch with an egg and post back re taste.

Jim