INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Regarding hams not chemically cured:  Pardon me for being very
old-fashioned; I don't know of any way to cure a ham that is not chemical.
On one extreme, the whole world, including the ham is made of chemicals.
More moderately, the word "cure: insinuates the use of "chemicals" even if
only salt.  But the use of saltpeter ( nitrate) has been in use for
centuries.  It was discovered that bacteria in the meat and surrounding
solution converted the nitrate to nitrite. A more modern cure by-passed the
bacteria to use nitrite directly in the cure solution. It is nitrite that
makes cured meat pink; without it, dull gray to brown and not very
appetizing.
My personal preference is for a so-called long cure ham, made with salt,
some sugar and a tiny bit of nitrate and nitrite, some of each. Stitch pump
this into the flesh of the ham [inject it with a syringe and perforated
needle in numerous places but especially around the bone and shank joint
where spoilage usually startes] or artery pump using the femoral artery as
an injection point. This is the best and safest.
Immerse the pumped ham in "pickle" which is nothing more than more brine of
essentially the same formula as the pumping "pickle" but without the sugar
which might support bacterial growth. If you have a barrel or vat of these
hams, unpack and re-pack them every two weeks or so [called overhaul]. In
no less than 30 days and preferrably 60 days, remove and rinse the hams,
put the in a stockingette and into the smoke house kept at about 120
degrees for the first day or so.
The hams can be kept in the smoke house indefinitely without added heat but
re-smoke every two weeks or so. Keep the hams hung so varmints cannot get
to them. ... they like ham too. To store for a long time, remove from the
smoke house [in the spring] and wrap in muslin which is painted with white
wash. ... the real lime white wash. Build up a firm layer of lime. These
hams can be hung in a barn or attic indefinitely. Some country ham buffs
say at least two years.
To prepare such a ham for eating it must, of course, be washed clean and
should be soaked overnight in water. A short par-boil before final roasting
is also recommended.
Modern water added hams were not an invention to cheat people but a
response to people who didn't really like hams.  By adding extra water to
the cure, the meat is more tender and less flavorful.  The modern process
can also be completed within two days but the ham has no "cured" flavor.
The canned or casing wrapped ham is usually not smoked at all but may have
smoke flavoring added.
Recipe By     : JohnT6020
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip

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