Ham #1

Going to make some ham.

Picked up half a leg (~3kg) (the ‘butt-half’ as the Americans would call it) from one of our friendly butchers. It was deboned but the bones have been kept as they’ll be cured and smoked like the everything else and are great for stocks / soups (you’ll often find ‘bacon bones’ in butchers which are the same thing)

The cure recipe was derived from this very informative post. I’ve gone for a low salt, medium sugar cure. I’ve also injected the cure which speeds the cure time up dramatically. (@ a pump rate 20%) I’m using Prague Powder #1 for the Nitrite.

The Pork leg after deboning it. My 3kg leg turn into 2kg of meat, 1/2kg of bone (kept) and 1/2kg skin+fat (discarded).
The Pork leg after deboning it. The 3kg leg turned into 2kg of meat, 1/2kg of bone (kept) and 1/2kg skin+fat (discarded).

 

Injecting the cure into the leg. When you get it right the muscle expands and firms. When you get it wrong it squirts all over you as you pull the needle out.
Injecting the cure into the leg. When you get it right the muscle expands and firms. When you get it wrong it squirts all over you as you pull the needle out.