Wet Cure/Brine

sniper7990 · Feb 2, 2015

OK, so with the resounding results of my first attempts at making bacon, I now want to cure a ham.

Can anyone recommend a wet cure/brine for pork leg joint.

Im not going massive weight wise on this as its a first attempt.

Its leg joint, skin on and off the bone

Got plenty of salt, sugar and Prague Powder and lots of herbs and spices to play with

susieqz · Feb 2, 2015

the brine i use for ham is not much different from pop's. check his, but forget 30 days. 10 is fine.

mine comes from dave omak. i use only 1/4 cup of salt n i add 3 extra cups brown sugar n omit white.

i have 2 tips. remove the skin. it will interfere with cure absorption.

second, inject the ham well, especially around the bone to prevent bone sour.

i shoot for an injection rate of 10% of the bone's weight.

not sure what i get as lots squirts out.

you can play with recipes, as long as you get the pink salt n canning salt right.

PM dave omak to get his formulae.

daveomak · Feb 2, 2015

susieqz said:
the brine i use for ham is not much different from pop's. check his, but forget 30 days. 10 is fine.

mine comes from dave omak. i use only 1/4 cup of salt n i add 3 extra cups brown sugar n omit white.

i have 2 tips. remove the skin. it will interfere with cure absorption.

second, inject the ham well, especially around the bone to prevent bone sour.

i shoot for an injection rate of 10% of the bone's weight.

not sure what i get as lots squirts out.

you can play with recipes, as long as you get the pink salt n canning salt right.

PM dave omak to get his formulae.

Point Sniper to the thread where I explained it.... Then others will have a glimpse.....

sniper7990 · Feb 2, 2015

Dave...yet again you come up trumps [emoji]128518[/emoji][emoji]128518[/emoji][emoji]128518[/emoji]

daveomak · Feb 2, 2015

Sniper7990 said:
Dave...yet again you come up trumps [emoji]128518[/emoji][emoji]128518[/emoji][emoji]128518[/emoji]

The basics of what I do is.....   weigh the meat.. weigh out 10% of the meats weight in water.... add the proper amount of cure#1 to the water for the meat to cure properly... add the amount of salt, say 2% of the meats weight... add process white sugar to the % you want....

Dissolve it all in the water....   inject all of the water into the ham paying particular attention to the bones and joints to prevent bone sour....

Then make up a brine solution to cover the meat.... if it is 1 gallon, 3800 grams, add the proper amount of cure #1 to the 3800 grams... same with the salt and sugar.....

So you end up with the correct amount of everything inside and out...   no guessing whether the intake into the meat was achieved... you put it in there,,,    Refrigerate at 38 deg. F for at least 8 days....

When injecting, probably 10 cc's per injection and 50 injections to insure complete coverage...   so.... 500 cc of injectable brine...   Or something like that.... you get the idea probably....

susieqz · Feb 2, 2015

dave, i haven't seen that thread where you explained it. you told me in a PM. i'll go look for the thread.

if i find it, i'll post it here.

susieqz · Feb 2, 2015

well, i can't find dave's thread.

i sure can't repeat his instructions. he's my smoking guru, but he sits up nights

thinking of ways to confuse a person..

his formulae are full of stuff i never heard of.

grams, parts per million, cubic centimeters, quazars, quarks, maybe string theory is involved.

i'm never quite sure if he's telling me how to make a curing brine or telling me how the universe was created.....

foamheart · Feb 2, 2015

Sniper7990 said:
Dave...yet again you come up trumps [emoji]128518[/emoji][emoji]128518[/emoji][emoji]128518[/emoji]

Dave has helped teach a lot of folks here. Just remember when you cook what you make, that just because there is a min. temp requirement, you can cook it longer. Its the one meat I have found that doesn't taste better the lower the IT.

I also found its the one time I go full strength on the salt in the brine. Ham's are just supposed to be a bit salty.

Follow Dave's advise and you'll be happy with what you get.

sniper7990 · Feb 3, 2015

ok, this is only a very small boneless joint weighing 2 1/2 kg. Do I still need to inject it?

susieqz · Feb 3, 2015

you know, injecting is easy n fast.

plus, once you have an injector, you can inject all sorts of cool stuff into poultry n things.

much better than just marinating.

got mine from amazon but dave says you can get them super cheap from feed stores.

so, there's little reason not to inject.

sniper7990 · Feb 3, 2015

think ill pop out to my butchers supply shop then :)

sniper7990 · Feb 13, 2015

Right, Ive had a go t this

I bought an injector from my local Sainsbury for £1.50

I used Pops brine http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine

Brined for 10 days (its only 2 1/2 kg after all)

Taken it out today and left it in the fridge.

Will cold smoke it tomorrow and hopefully have some pic over the weekend

sniper7990 · Feb 15, 2015

ok, after 10 days cure, the results are in.

And its bloody awesome!!!!

The small joint I cured for 10 days and smoke over hickory for 24 hours, has turned in to the most amazing ham ever .

I used Pops basic brine, injected it I/o as well and it turns the cheapest leg joint of pork in to the most amazing ham

going to plan to do a whole gammon, top leg joint for Christmas this year

susieqz · Feb 15, 2015

great to hear. you just cold smoked?

sniper7990 · Feb 16, 2015

Yep, cold smokes over hickory Susie
And the visual evidence....there isn't any really, coz we all demolished it over night!!!!

susieqz · Feb 16, 2015

sniper, i understood it had to be heated to 140 IT.

not so?

sniper7990 · Feb 16, 2015

no,no,no, I cold smoked first for 24 hrs, then put it in the oven to roast/cook

20150215_213142.jpg

sniper7990
Feb 16, 2015

susieqz · Feb 16, 2015

k, i get it now. i did mine overnight all in the smoker [26 hours]. best i ever had. i imagine finishing in the oven is the same

sniper7990 · Feb 16, 2015

tbh, this was a really small joint as part of a first experiment, so I was only in the oven for a couple of hours

sniper7990 · Feb 16, 2015

soz.....IT was in the oven for a couple of hours......don't want you naughty witch to get any ideas LOL

Wet Cure/Brine

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