Front Shoulder Ham Questions

[Murray]

This is my first attempt at ham using Pop’s brine. It’s a 1.28kg(2.8lb) bone removed front shoulder roast, has been in the brine for 9 days. I’m thinking of treating this much like cold smoked bacon, reason being my wife isn’t a fan of too much smoke on hot smoked meats yet she loves cold smoked bacon smoked for20 plus hours using pellet dust. I’m not a fan of store bought ham, my wife could eat ham everyday so I’m trying to find a ham that she will love(hence the cold smoked bacon approach) and one that I can tolerate maybe even enjoy.

1) Can/should I leave the ham in the fridge to drain and start loosing moisture for 2-4 days maybe longer?

2) Cold smoke for 20 hours or so resting, overnight between smokes. After the cold smoke is done cook the ham in the oven or smoker with no smoke to an internal temperature of 145F?

3) Once 2) (above) is done I’m at the same stage as those “ready to eat” hams in the supermarket, heat to serve?

4). Being a small roast will two strings holding it together it’s a little loose which will be good for draining and dehydrating but will make handling a challenge, it wants to fall apart. My thought was to make a cheesecloth bag, (single layer) to hold it together. Will the cheesecloth weave be too dense and prevent the smoke from penetrating, much like those automobile radiator screens reduce airflow to the radiator?

Any advice is welcome and Thanks for your time and input.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I would think leaving it in fridge overnight would be enough to help dry it. Plus if you cold smoke for 20 hours should help. I wouldn't worry too much about it though, if anything I would worry about it getting too dried out. Most store bought hams are enhanced to help from drying out. I would probably add a couple more strings so it easier to handle. I know pops had a post on it, but danged if I can find it now.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out

Ryan

 

[smokerjim]

i agree with Ryan, also i think cheesecloth would be ok but a couple more strings would be better.

 

[Murray]

Thank you gentlemen. When I pulled it out of the brine the roast had plumped up quite a bit, tightened up those strings. I added one more. Don’t think drying it out will be an issue. My average cold smoke temperature is around 45F or so.

 

[Murray]

My first ham ever and was it ever good, that coming from a guy who was never a big fan of ham. My wife loves ham and claimed that was the best ham she has ever had. I have been instructed that we need to do 3 more, 2 for us and 1 for my daughter. Looking at the red circle it appears that 8 days cure wasn’t long enough. I injected the brine but was distracted while injecting and wonder if I missed injecting some of the front shoulder due to the distraction. I cut a piece of the not so pink area and we sampled it, both of us agreed it tasted like ham so I’m not sure what happened.
What does one call a cured and smoked front shoulder? Buckboard Ham?

 

[daveomak]

Here is a recipe that has captured many members as the best ham they have ever tasted...

HAM from fresh picnics.. update 10/21 ... MONEY ..

My neighborhood small grocery had fresh picnics, non enhanced, for $1.49... sooooo, 2 came home with me... Bride wanted these done with the hide on so that's what I did.... Many, many injections of a curing brine to make them hammy... around the bones and joints and along the hide from...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[smokerjim]

Looks darn tasty from here. if I remember right with pops brine ya brine for 1 day for every 1/4 inch of thickness plus 2 days, so if it's 3 inches thick it would be 14 days, also he suggested injecting anything over 2 inches thick as you did.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I'd call it good! Gone! And need to make more!

Ryan

 

[Murray]

Here is a recipe that has captured many members as the best ham they have ever tasted...

HAM from fresh picnics.. update 10/21 ... MONEY ..

My neighborhood small grocery had fresh picnics, non enhanced, for $1.49... sooooo, 2 came home with me... Bride wanted these done with the hide on so that's what I did.... Many, many injections of a curing brine to make them hammy... around the bones and joints and along the hide from...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I looked at your recipe before hand, I don’t have Amesphos on hand nor can I find that product in Canada(currently sold out in The Ingredient Store) I’m wondering if it hasn’t been approved in Canada. I’ll keep researching, there has to be a similar product offered in Canada. I hate buying stuff in the US, take a bath on the exchange rate, shipping is usually prohibitive and the tax man sitting on the border sometimes adds a percentage as duty.

I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the below statement.

Weights are per 500 cc /grams injection liquid (10% injection) no salt vegetable stock
My take on the above IF I understand correctly using your weight of ham.

10 pound ham at 10% additive in liquid form. That means the meat plant will add 10% by weight of brine? Their brine is water based, your is Zero Salt Vegetable Stock.

So a 10 pound ham is 4535.92 grams at 10% =453.92 grams of water. If 1 gram of water=1 cubic centimetre = 1 millilitre at sea level then I need 453.92 millilitres(0.45392 Litres) of liquid. Your recipe has 500 cubic centimetres=0.5 Litre.

You just rounded up to half a litre?

The rest of the ingredients calculations I understand and get the same numbers as you.

I will definitely try your ham recipe, way too many positive reviews not to try it, just have to find a suitable moisture retention additive that’s not sold out and available in Canada.

Thanks for your time.