Looking for help with my first time with fresh pork leg.

[Maple syrup 74]

IvI' been making my own bacon for years now. I have a recipe and method for my bacon that my wife and I love. Now I want to get onto ham. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

 

[Rings Я Us]

IvI' been making my own bacon for years now. I have a recipe and method for my bacon that my wife and I love. Now I want to get onto ham. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

I'm doing fresh ham now. Not smoked yet but will be cold smoking this weekend for 24 hours.
I took the skin off and the bone from a 12.75 lb shank.
I injected cure brine I made after I strained a couple cups. I injected every couple inches and used up at least 12 oz of the mix.
Mine was distilled water and cure #1 with dark brown sugar and kosher salt in almost equal amounts. I added like a cup or less of pickling spice and a head of garlic cut in half. I took mine out of the mix after 11 days I believe.. It's now in the fridge drying till Friday night. I will hang it and cold smoke with the AMNPS while I'm sleeping. The taste test was yummy, with a hint of that clove .
Hope yours turns out great when you get it done.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ham-cold-smoke-question.274476/

 

[Maple syrup 74]

I'm doing fresh ham now. Not smoked yet but will be cold smoking this weekend for 24 hours.
I took the skin off and the bone from a 12.75 lb shank.
I injected cure brine I made after I strained a couple cups. I injected every couple inches and used up at least 12 oz of the mix.
Mine was distilled water and cure #1 with dark brown sugar and kosher salt in almost equal amounts. I added like a cup or less of pickling spice and a head of garlic cut in half. I took mine out of the mix after 11 days I believe.. It's now in the fridge drying till Friday night. I will hang it and cold smoke with the AMNPS while I'm sleeping. The taste test was yummy, with a hint of that clove .
Hope yours turns out great when you get it done.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ham-cold-smoke-question.274476/

Thank you for your input. I have two concerns. First the cold smoke part. I've been doing some research and seems to be a risky proposition. Most of what I've read is anbuna of precationapre tales of botulism. Secondly I've never used any of the praguP powders before. When I do my bacon it's a simple brine of well water kosher salt and maple syrup that I make from my own trees. The smoking part takes place on my XL big green egg. I try to keep it between 150-180°, till internal temp is 145. Cold smoking is 100° or less if I'm not mistaken.

 

[daveomak]

I developed a method that is similar to what commercial processors do... Most folks think it makes an awesome ham...
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ham-from-fresh-picnics-update-10-21-money.236375/

 

[Rings Я Us]

Thank you for your input. I have two concerns. First the cold smoke part. I've been doing some research and seems to be a risky proposition. Most of what I've read is anbuna of precationapre tales of botulism. Secondly I've never used any of the praguP powders before. When I do my bacon it's a simple brine of well water kosher salt and maple syrup that I make from my own trees. The smoking part takes place on my XL big green egg. I try to keep it between 150-180°, till internal temp is 145. Cold smoking is 100° or less if I'm not mistaken.

You may not have the gear for cold smoke . Nor the weather. It's good hot smoked too.

 

[Maple syrup 74]

I plan on getting a cabinet style propane smoker. So I can bag and hang it. I raise my own pigs so I want this to be right. The money laid out for the smoker will be recuperated in the savings from no longer sending my hams to the smoke house.

 

[daveomak]

Maple syrup, morning... Please fill out your profile with your location etc... It help us to diagnose stuff when helping... Temperatures, humidity, altitude..... AND, get some Prague Powder or Cure #1 to add to the meat you smoke...
You only get botulism once...

 

[Maple syrup 74]

Maple syrup, morning... Please fill out your profile with your location etc... It help us to diagnose stuff when helping... Temperatures, humidity, altitude..... AND, get some Prague Powder or Cure #1 to add to the meat you smoke...
You only get botulism once...

Okay update complete. Yes botulism once. I was wondering if I can smoke the fresh leg around 165° or so much like I do my bacon. Keep in mind it will be deboned and trimmed. My intention is to slice thin for cold cuts. It's.just the wife and I. So I'd like to seal and freeze it for cheap easy lunch sandwiches.

 

[daveomak]

Since you have removed the bone, the interior of the leg is no longer sterile and full of pathogens..... Whole muscle meat is considered sterile by the USDA...
All during the cooking process, on the piece of meat you have described, the pathogens are growing...
To be safe to eat, I would cook it to rare, 132 ish and hold at that temperature for 2 hours to insure all pathogens are dead... You could add smoke during this period.. Start with about 110F or so... add smoke... turn the smoker up to 185 and start the cook... When the internal temp gets to 130 ish, turn the smoker down so you don't overcook the lamb.. say, 160-165 ish... when the internal temp has been at 130 for 3 hours, 132 for 2 1/2 hours, or 135 for 2 hours... It's safe to eat... I personally extend the "hold" time for the final internal temp to insure the pathogens are dead... It doesn't hurt the meat... It's still at 130 or 135...
Sous Vide is the best method for long term low temp cooking.... Set the SV machine to 136 and let it cook....

 

[Maple syrup 74]

Thanks for the information. Much appreciated. I was taught under the Safe Serv guidelines that pork internal temp is safe at a minimum of 145. I noticed you stated lamb in your response, if that was a type "O" no worries. I do that a lot. Just wanted to make sure we are talking about the same piece of meat. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[pops6927]

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/260018/fresh-pork-leg-to-easter-ham-ii

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/89979/from-hog-leg-to-easter-ham

 

[chopsaw]

IvI' been making my own bacon for years now. I have a recipe and method for my bacon that my wife and I love. Now I want to get onto ham. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Do yourself a big favor and check into Dave's method . I've used it to do a picnic and a deboned butt . Both came out FANTASTIC . Some of the best ham I have ever eaten . Please get your self some cure 1 .
These were done with Daves method
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/boneless-butt-ham.273959/
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/fresh-picnic-to-ham-daveomak-style.271820/

 

[pc farmer]

Do yourself a big favor and check into Dave's method . I've used it to do a picnic and a deboned butt . Both came out FANTASTIC . Some of the best ham I have ever eaten . Please get your self some cure 1 .
These were done with Daves method
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/boneless-butt-ham.273959/
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/fresh-picnic-to-ham-daveomak-style.271820/

Agree. Here are two big hams using the same cure method.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/easter-hams.273210/