Gammon curing

[Topdog]

Hi all, I make excellent dry cure bacon due to Oddley's good advice, my friends love it, but recently they have been asking me to cure a Gammon in the same way. The problem is I don't know what cut of meat you use and would it be possible to dry cure that potential size of cut anyway.
Any help or advice would be great, thanks.
Mike

[wheels]

Hi Topdog

Gammon is leg of pork. If you mean gammon as in gammon and eggs, or gammon and pineapple as served in the UK, it's a slice across the leg.

You could certainly dry cure this using any ham recipe - maybe go lightly on the spicing though. Personally, I would pump (injection) cure it.

Oddley has done a combination cure (part injection, followed by dry cure) that is also very popular.

Slicing is best done on a machine, getting even thickness over that size by hand would IMO be difficult.

Phil

[saucisson]

Thanks Phil, now that my grey matter is engaged, I might be able to inject some help too.

I'm just pumping and curing some Ham for Christmas right now. I'll pop in tomorrow with a blow by blow account


Dave

[wheels]

Who ate all the mince pies?

[saucisson]

Mike put me on the spot, so it was a quick tasting session. Otherwise I'd have invited all the nice people here

[johnfb]

Thanks Phil, now that my grey matter is engaged, I might be able to inject some help too.

I'm just pumping and curing some Ham for Christmas right now. I'll pop in tomorrow with a blow by blow account


Dave

[Topdog]

Hi, the cut of meat they talk about is boneless and is to be cooked after curing. When you talk about pumping are you suggesting a brine mixture to do this and then dry cure, and is the cut of meat I want part of the top of the leg?
Dave, I thank you for your advice but you are a funny guy ha ha (no insult intended ) I thought you said enough had been said? and then removed the right to reply, so I guess that only applies to some of us eh?
I really am a nice person you know, but if someone attacks you however obliquely when you have only done as asked and then it keeps coming, what would you do.
I hope we can keep to matters as posted without any other ill considered comments.
I look forward to your blow by blow account and thanks in advance.
Mike

[saucisson]

Yes it's a brine mixture followed by a dry cure. I hope to start today so I can try and take some pictures for you too.

Dave

[johnfb]

Photos please.....I really love to see the efforts of the members here. Try, if you can, to post them.
Cheers
John

[saucisson]

Mike put me on the spot, so it was a quick tasting session. Otherwise I'd have invited all the nice people here

I think I have inadvertently created some confusion here. The Mike referred to there was MikeD on the other thread that wheels linked, I just realised that Topdog here is also a Mike, which made me appear to be addressing him. Sorry, Mike, in this thread, for the misunderstanding.

Dave

[Paul Kribs]

Topdog

I make gammons using the Organic bacon cure sold on the main site but it would be the same in principle using Oddleys recipe.

Cut down to the thigh bone, and work around it and remove it. Open the leg out 'flat' and dry cure it as normal. The thickest part is generally no more than 3"-4", so use cure pro-rata.

Once curing time is up, rinse and dry and then hang for a day to dry a bit. Then roll and tie tightly. I then trim the ends of the roll and use the bacon off-cuts as normal. Allow the gammon joint to dry for 3-5 days and then slice and use accordingly. I like to cut the gammon slices between 6mm and 10mm thick. You may have to re-tie a bit tighter as the joint dries out.. I generally slice and vac-pack in 2's and freeze.

Fantastic gammons, enjoy.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Topdog]

Hi Paul and thanks, that sounds like the deal.

Dave, sorry for misunderstanding you, I guess if this was a movie we'd hug and walk off into the sunset now
Still like to see or hear your results.
Mike

[saucisson]

Group Hug

I've spent all morning trying to clear an infection off my son's computer, but I still hope to start the ham today. Capt Wassname may be joining us shortly as he just asked about the pump and rub method in the beginners section.

Dave

[wheels]

Dave

That method is good, particularly for UK members, with cure #1 being quite expensive by comparison.

Oddley details his method here:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=3336

Phil

[saucisson]

That's the one of Oddley's I will be following in my mini-tutorial I'd better get started if I'm going to post it here tonight.

Dave