Making Black forest ham?

[kawboy]

My wife goes through a lot of ham for lunches. I offered to make her some ham or turkey breasts for her lunches. She informed me that she only eats Blackforest ham for her lunches. She wraps them with cheese to eat on the go. What is the main difference between say loin ham, and blackforest ham? The little bit I've looked into it, blackforest calls for smoking with pine. Anyone got a good go to for it? Thanks

 

[smokerjim]

smoking with pine sounds a little odd, i'm sure someone will jump in with your answers though.

 

[smokerjim]

I did google it, yeah in germany where it originated they dry cure for like a month and what I read they do smoke it with pine. not sure what type of pine they use over there.

 

[olecrosseyes]

Concerning the Pine.

First of all remember the pine that is available in today's lumber yards is not the pine that we had available 40/50 years ago and nor is it the pine that was available to us 100 years ago.

What I'm referring to is the age of the tree that is harvested. Today the trees are quite a bit less dense due to their total age. Therefore there is more softer rings and those may have more sap. The older the more aged, think of dry aging meat.

Even tho I may not be the sharpest tac, I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express one night. (I just don't remember when that was!) wink wink.

 

[chef jimmyj]

There is the Tradional Dry Cured Black Forest Ham, expensive and not widely available in the US. More likely, I think your wife is talking about Boar's Head Black Forest Ham. It uses some traditional seasoning and is Beechwood Smoked. I would use DaveOmak's Ham Recipe, rubbed with the Spices below and smoke with A-MAZE-N Beech Pellets...JJ

From The Spruce Eats...

2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons juniper berries
10 bay leaves (whole)
2 teaspoons coriander (seeds)
2 teaspoons marjoram (dried)

Grind into a powder and coat the Cured Ham before Smoking per Dave's instructions.

 

[indaswamp]

I like that advice Chefjj.....I might would add a touch of cherry wood to get that darker color like black forest ham......

 

[chef jimmyj]

I totally agree, Sir Swamp...JJ

 

[indaswamp]

I totally agree, Sir Swamp...JJ

Ya know....now that I think about it...I might would throw some juniper berries in the fire too. Ought to simulate that spruce smoke fairly well.....

 

[chef jimmyj]

There you go. And sip a quality GIN letting the scent of Juniper stimulate your senses.
Dang, now I want to make a Black Forest Ham! Or, a least have a Martini...JJ

 

[indaswamp]

LOL!!!

 

[kawboy]

There is the Tradional Dry Cured Black Forest Ham, expensive and not widely available in the US. More likely, I think your wife is talking about Boar's Head Black Forest Ham. It uses some traditional seasoning and is Beechwood Smoked. I would use DaveOmak's Ham Recipe, rubbed with the Spices below and smoke with A-MAZE-N Beech Pellets...JJ

From The Spruce Eats...

2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons juniper berries
10 bay leaves (whole)
2 teaspoons coriander (seeds)
2 teaspoons marjoram (dried)

Grind into a powder and coat the Cured Ham before Smoking per Dave's instructions.

You are correct, it is the grocery store bagged stuff. Thanks for the Info, I'll have to try it after we get back from vacation.

 

[pops6927]

Black Forest ham - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[indaswamp]

So that's how the hams get so black....

Black Forest ham can take up to three months to produce.[2] Raw ham is salted and seasoned with garlic, coriander, pepper, juniper berries and other spices. After curing for two weeks, the salt is removed and the ham aged an additional two weeks. It is then cold-smoked using sawdust and fir or juniper brush at a temperature of not more than 25°C (77°F) for several weeks, becoming almost black on the outside and acquiring much of its distinctive flavor. It is then air-cured for at least two weeks before sale

 

[zwiller]

Funny... I have a loin curing and on deck to smoke and running 50/50 oak/pine. I have been wanting to do this a long time. Made the dust this past week. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb

I did a few test burns sans food and felt it smelled promising. He's not active but "brican" ran a softwood mix. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/schinkenspec-w-qview.112459/ He also posted his famous black forest seasoning.

Still not entirely sure how I am running the smoke yet.

 

[kawboy]

There you go. And sip a quality GIN letting the scent of Juniper stimulate your senses.
Dang, now I want to make a Black Forest Ham! Or, a least have a Martini...JJ

You had me up until Gin!

 

[Jabiru]

I have used Pine Cones before, was ok, but the smoke smelt acidic to me so never used again.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Here is some great info on the subject...JJ

Using Pine, Spruce or Fir

I'm curious. Normally one does not want to use any of the above woods to smoke with. But lately I've been reading through a german cookbook, and it claims that Black Forest ham is smoked using spruce, and the bacon is smoked with pine. Also, I've read that in parts of Germany, Bratwurst is...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[zwiller]

Running a loin today 50/50 oak/pine. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/german-style-cured-loin.295767/ Also plan to smoke some cheese with that blend before it warms up.

 

[Bearcarver]

As far as I'm concerned the only real difference in smoke from one wood to another is how strong it is. That's why I use Hickory most of the time. As for any kind of Pine to make that big a difference in the Flavor or Quality of Black Forest Ham, or any other Ham, I seriously doubt that.
It has to be in the quality of their Hams and/or the seasonings & methods they use in getting it done, not the species of wood.

Just My 2 Piasters,

Bear

 

[zwiller]

Just realized I didn't update my results. Smoked a loin 24hrs on 50/50 oak/pine. The results were the opposite than I expected (and Bearcarver was right). The pine was far milder. The result is that there is more natural pork flavor than typical. Definitely not the flavor of "black forest style" ham at the store. FYI legit BF ham is like proscuitto and nothing like the ham we think of. That said, I love BF ham from the store. Wife just bought some and I dead set on replicating. For now, I actually think BF is just smokier than other hams. I have researched and nearly all BF ham ingredients list "natural smoke flavor" so that means they are injecting liquid smoke.