by bigJ » Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:31 pm
Hi, sorry about the delay, i was in the middle of composing a response the other evening when the computer decided to turn itself of and refuse to start again, and as i now have the two carcasses back this is my firast chance to clear up whtat i meant. Phil by cure i meant a mix of salt, spice etc. this is what i am thinking:
350g fine sea salt
250g heather honey
25g cure #2
8 cloves garlic
10g bay
10g juniper berries
applied in two batches for a total of 7days per inch.
This is assuming a 10 kg ham (on the bone therefore - 2kg) Currently the hams are about 11.5 kg before trimming- obviously i'll adjust as necessary if i trim more/ less. Then cold smoked for approx 24 hrs over beech and heather.
If any one can see any obvious flaws in this plan please let me know.
As per your suggestion earlier in this thread i also intend to make a brine pumped and rubbed ham with similar ingredients.
Well today i've started curing approx 18kg of bacon (including a first try at black bacon which i'm a little concerned about as having warmed the cure to apply it seems to have set quite hard- i'm hoping it will disslove as the juice leaches out to make a brine), as well as a coppa and lonzino from two of the tenderloins.Already got some good rustic liver pate in the freezer and the plucks boiled ready for haggis, when the bung arrives!
And i'd better go and check on one of the heads, which has been simmering for about 3 hours now ready for some brawn.
There's still a lot of pig to get through! (haven' t touch one yet)