First Pork Leg cured ham

[Assib]

Hi,
New at this forum, but spend some time researching here about an issue I am having.
I tried to make sure Ham (To use it cold in sandwiches, if it makes a difference)
The method I used is:
1 kg pork leg (Whole top muscle)
4.5 liter water
225 gr salt
225 gr sugar
1 tsp pink curing salt
some spices.

I made the brine and put the pork in for 2 days (Used the 1 day per pound approach).
I then boiled it for about an hour and roast it for 45 min.

It came our good, but I do have some grey spot in the middle (attached photo), where the meat was thicker.
What could have gone wrong? Did the curing salt not penetrate through?
Is it safe to eat?
Happy to hear on other methods. I know the net if full of those, but thought to ask here the experts, rather relying on youtube experts.
Thanks

 

[daveomak]

First.... It's safe to eat....
Second.... When doing a brine, it is recommended 7 days per inch of thickness be the guide.. while the meat is under refrigeration at ~36-38 deg. F...
The amount of cure#1 you used was insufficient.. For the 6,000 grams of meat + water + salt + sugar you had to brine/cure, 15 grams or 3 tsp. of cure#1 would have been the proper amount...
For a 4" thick cut of meat, which is over 2" thick, it should have been injected with the cure / brine... and then submerged in the remaining brine for ~2 weeks...

The grey spots are from lack of curing time...

 

[JC in GB]

What Dave O said....

 

[Assib]

Thanks a lot for the answers.
Can you please recommend a book about curing with all those aspects?
I think I might need some more education :-)
Thanks!

 

[daveomak]

Marianski's are meat folks... as with all publications, be prepared for the "misprints" that are probably attributed to inept staff... I have several of their books and in kindle addition also.. Kindle books are corrected as errors, misprints are corrected, from what I understand... Updates are amended also...

 

[Assib]

Thanks for the quick reply here. Much appreciated.