Making Black forest ham?

[Brokenhandle]

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.

Any further luck experimenting with these?

Ryan

 

[olecrosseyes]

I got my ears on and just finished the big yellow tupperware bowl of popcorn.
Standing by

 

[zwiller]

Any further luck experimenting with these?

Ryan

Still plugging away but not there yet. Definitely will share once I got it. Here's the latest. Omak style injection with coriander steeped water instead of veggie stock + sodium erythorbate, and 24hr on beech. Might be best yet but does not have that BF flavor.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Still plugging away but not there yet. Definitely will share once I got it. Here's the latest. Omak style injection with coriander steeped water instead of veggie stock + sodium erythorbate, and 24hr on beech. Might be best yet but does not have that BF flavor.

View attachment 632287

I suppose I could offer my taste testing abilities! Oh poor me...have to try more ham lol! I know this is an older thread but was talking to my wife about it last night so went searching for it.

Ryan

 

[indaswamp]

Please keep us posted on your progress....I am following your journey with keen interest. I love black forest ham. I hear the real deal is cold smoked for about a month though......

 

[SmokinEdge]

This guy uses a preseasoned casing to make his BF ham. Might be something to that.

 

[mneeley490]

I used that spice combination as a cure for some bacon once. Flavor didn't really come thru.

 

[zwiller]

Wanted to post an update. Many know I am dead set on nailing the BF lunchmeat thing. I have NOT given up, I just am not posting my fails. My fails are still dang tasty BTW. Anywoo, last one I think I might have it and will run a few more to confirm but I wanted to post to see if others would play along. I think the flavor is a combination of 2 things: longer smoke and freezing. I threw the hunks in my post above in the freezer since chopsaw suggested it might help. I normally just plow through it. Thawed a hunk and gave it a go last weekend... S O B, he was right. WAAAY better than a week old. Not only flavor but texture too.

 

[chopsaw]

I threw the hunks in my post above in the freezer since chopsaw suggested it might help.

It has a positive effect for sure . Hands on tried and true results . Just the increased smoky smell is a plus . Thanks for the update .
I'd have to double smoke a hunk of that .

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yep, thanks for the update! Been wanting to revisit this thread!

Ryan

 

[zwiller]

It has a positive effect for sure . Hands on tried and true results . Just the increased smoky smell is a plus . Thanks for the update .
I'd have to double smoke a hunk of that .

Rich, any idea how long you'd say is the minimum freeze?

 

[indaswamp]

Glad this thread popped back up to the top....Been wondering how your progress was coming along on this project. Freezing huh?? Well isn't that interesting.....never would have thought that would make a difference....

 

[zwiller]

Yep, thanks for the update! Been wanting to revisit this thread!

Ryan

Happy to help after all I picked up so much from this group.

Glad this thread popped back up to the top....Been wondering how your progress was coming along on this project. Freezing huh?? Well isn't that interesting.....never would have thought that would make a difference....

Thought the same, but not any more. Kid you not making me rethink things. There was a joint here that had killer ribs and YEP they smoked offsite and froze them to send to their restaurants...

 

[chopsaw]

any idea how long you'd say is the minimum freeze?

I really don't know . Most of mine are in there about 6 months . I would think a couple weeks , maybe a month .

 

[daveomak]

When I worked at a family-owned premium meat processing plant, BF ham was a process meat product similar to SPAM... Boneless processed hunks of pig... seasoned, packed into a bag and vacuumed tumbled for around 12 hours to extract the proteins and glue the hunks into a perfect formed ham... Many of the process steps were not for publication, even to the employees...
Everyone could see the meat enter and leave the Buffalo Chopper, get bagged and enter the vacuum tumbler for the overnight tumble under vacuum...

 

[JckDanls 07]

Just picked this thread up... I'm curious as well ...