Corned ham???

[Brokenhandle]

Maybe so, but Corning, or salt curing, is one thing. Then spicing is another. You can add spices to any curing process. It’s not exclusive to the Corning method, which is just curing with salt corns. However you choose to cure the ham, if done correctly, will produce a delicious cured ham with whatever flavors you choose to include.

Traditional “Corning” was salt only. No brine. When you boiled the meat to reduce the salt concentration, you could add spices to any flavor you like. That’s the way I remember it and saw it done. I prefer less sodium so I don’t play with salt boxes.

Funny how corned beef comes in solution in a bag, it’s just cured beef, but also comes with a packet of spices to boil the meat with. No salt corns in play at all.

So which do you follow? The old traditional ways or modern day? I feel thirdeye Explained it really well.

Ryan

 

[chopsaw]

if I only used water, salt and Cure #1, I would be able to cure meat. But, by adding some extras to the bucket, I can corn meat.

That's the way I see it too , and that's the " image " most people get when they hear the word " corned " . Perfect explanation .

 

[thirdeye]

Funny how corned beef comes in solution in a bag, it’s just cured beef, but also comes with a packet of spices to boil the meat with. No salt corns in play at all.

I think the answer is production time. Traditional corning takes too long, so the first major change was when large scale producers began using a brine in large tanks, followed shortly by automatic multi-needle injectors before the cuts of meat went into the tanks. I recall reading that the temperature of the brine is controlled to speed up the process. Now they can get the meat into bags and off to market in a few days along with that thick liquid in the bag. What's even funnier is the size of the packet of pickling spices... It's not much more than a tablespoon.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I have read that for commercial production of some cured meats they take advantage of the total time of shipping and distribution to the markets. The meats if not frozen can be boxed just a little “green” and by the time they hit the shelf curing is complete. Don’t know if true but there is a time buffer there.

So are you saying that a corned ham is more along the lines of your porkstrami? Cured with the aromatics? If so what spices go into the curing of a corned ham?

 

[thirdeye]

The meats if not frozen can be boxed just a little “green” and by the time they hit the shelf curing is complete.

I think that's a good assumption. The corned brisket I buy at Sam's Club has a long 'use by' date, so I'm fine leaving it in the beer fridge a couple of weeks.

So are you saying that a corned ham is more along the lines of your porkstrami? Cured with the aromatics? If so what spices go into the curing of a corned ham?

I'm saying that the term "corned beef" means different things to different people. And that the optional aromatic spices I use when making my brine happen to work for the flavor I'm looking for. And for now, I'm using my corning brine on beef and pork.