Dry Cured Ham ...... Irish Ham

[BriCan]

Awesome tutorial on boning out the leg, that would be the same procedure to produce a culatello and a fiocco if i'm not mistaken...

I believe so, been doing it all my life but until recently did not know it was so.

[vagreys]

Traditional? Irish? Authentic? Star Anise?

Is that spelled with one 'L' or two?

Phil

Just for the record, my initial suggestion was O'Hara's Irish Stout, cinnamon, coriander, juniper, bay, maybe nutmeg and ginger, and dark muscovado. It's being a lot of fun talking through it and watching it evolve. Using the Kilkenny, Lyle's, turbinado, and the star anise is taking it in a lighter direction, and should be interesting with what's yet to come.

[BriCan]

the star anise is taking it in a lighter direction, and should be interesting with what's yet to come.

A slight twist on things if I may, your thoughts on Irish whiskey and orange as being used in conjunction of each other?

[BriCan]

Traditional? Irish? Authentic? l

After much soul searching and a sleepless night I have now decided to abandon all hope and move to plan G

I might not be back for a while as I have too ............

[vagreys]

the star anise is taking it in a lighter direction, and should be interesting with what's yet to come.

A slight twist on things if I may, your thoughts on Irish whiskey and orange as being used in conjunction of each other?

I realize you've taken it a little different direction, now, but in answer to this question, I think Irish Whiskey and orange could be very good, together. That should be a consideration, regardless.

[wheels]

Methinks the 'Butcher of Bispham' is enjoying having his leg pulled. He's incredibly good you know Tom, most guys from his 'neck of the woods' think that Star Anise is a Chinese restaurant!

P

[vagreys]

[BriCan]

Methinks the 'Butcher of Bispham' is enjoying having his leg pulled

Anyone who really gets to know me knows otherwise when it comes down to producing/creating things, ------- over a pint shooting the breeze is a totally other thing – unless we are talking food.

He's incredibly good you know Tom,

Good is one thing but incredibly good is another and as such is not in my vocabulary for I could never fill those shoes. Mediocre might be closer to the point and as (kind) person from another forum has kindly pointed out ‘more like talking with my head stuck totally up my ‘you know what’

most guys from his 'neck of the woods' think that Star Anise is a Chinese restaurant!

My thoughts (for what it might seem) was Eastern (as vagreys had discussed with me) as an India spice but it was not until much later after consulting all things that are wise (my English spice book)



I came to see the errors of my way, with every post I make there is always a disclaimer added to let everyone know I really and truly do not know what I am doing or in this case talking about --- now I will go and chew on (some) Nigella

[BriCan]

It seems that I might have ruffled some feathers while on this journey, the original quest (and still is) is to make a ‘traditional’ (or as close as I can get) Irish Ham. After talking to vagreys over many days with the discussion of which way to go we came to a consensus on a flavour profile with the final input from me due to hands on.

O'Hara's Irish Stout was on the top of the list but due to having to go across the line into the States actually ruled it out so we went with the Guinness The following was the final spice combination that was done

8 cans of Guinness
1 tin of Lyles Golden Syrup 907g
14g Cinnamon sticks
5g Coriander seed
30g Black peppercorns
12g Juniper berries
10g Bay leaves

First things first, the Guinness was put into a large heavy base stainless steel pot followed by the tin of Lyles Golden Syrup which I had heated for sometime in very hot water to make sure that I got every lest drop out of the tin. Placing the pot on the stove over a high heat to bring to a boil stirring occasionally so that the syrup did not burn on the bottom of the pot

While the liquid was coming to the boil I worked on the dry ingredients grinding the Coriander seed, followed by the Black peppercorns and the Juniper berries placing them in my bowl. The Bay leaves was next to be crush by hand as small as I could and then the Cinnamon sticks which I placed in a plastic bag and took the hammer to them

The following is all the spices blended together before placing them into the liquid




Once the Guinness and Golden Syrup had come to a rolling boil (stirring occasionally) it was taken off the stove/heat. Once this was done we added the spice mixture – stirred to blend into the liquid and the placed on the (close fitting) lid so that as vagreys said; ‘Leave to cool. Not boiling the spices, and letting them steep off the heat extracts more flavour and reduces bitterness. Tap the liquid that condenses on the inside of the lid back into the brine to retain the volatile spice oils that blow off at low temperatures.’

Once the liquid was cool/cold I placed the boneless pork legs into vacuum pouches and added the brine mixture which had been strained with a very fine sieve so that only the liquid went into the bags. These where then placed into the fridge and will be turned each day (except the weekends) until the end of June when they will be cold smoked

Strained brine






Baged with the brine



Ready for the fridge

[Titch]

BriCan!
I love your post.s, I feel like I am part of the journey.
Cheers.
Titch

[wheels]

It seems that I might have ruffled some feathers while on this journey

Certainly not here.

[DiggingDogFarm]

Traditional Schmaditional! LOL

Unless you live in Ireland it's not going to be either authentic or traditional.

Only an inspired approximation.


~Martin

[BriCan]

Traditional Schmaditional! LOL

Unless you live in Ireland it's not going to be either authentic or traditional.

Only an inspired approximation.


~Martin

Not living in the country negates if one can or cannot call it Traditional/Authentic if one has been producing the product all there life (this one I have not)

It all boils down to the client who in this case is conservatively worth in of excess of forty million (and that’s the low number) so they can call it whatever they like

In doing the research in goggle Ireland one can gleam a lot

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/Media,3962,en.pdf

[wheels]

Great document BriCan - thanks for posting it.

Phil

[BriCan]

Great document BriCan - thanks for posting it.

Phil

Glad to pass on.


Ireland is a tough nut to crack (and please; no disrespect intended/meant) but doing the research on this it has been worse than pulling hen’s teeth