i hope this is posted in the correct forum .. anyways i will be butchering a pig on july 3rd and could use some ideas on what to do with the hams. idealy i would like to have them cured but i can not find anyone to do that until winter . what i wanted to do was cure one ham and have the other ham suger cured and cut into steaks like you buy at the store . any suggestion would be great .. i would hate to have to us ethe hams to make sausage
butchering a pig next month looking for some ideas on what to do with the hams
- Thread starter jd brooks
- Start date
Chris in bflo
New member
Without hesitation, I suggest corned ham. It is a wonderful middle point between roast pork and Smithfield style ham (and no relation, flavor-wise, to corned beef, BTW).It's an eastern NC specialty. And it's really easy, as long as you've got the refrigerator room.
Here's a basic version based on a recipe by Bill Smith, google for a few variations:
One whole, fresh ham (about 20 pounds)
One to two pounds of salt
Rinse and dry the ham. Cut incisions in the meat at each place where a bone protrudes from the ham. Pack the cuts with salt and then then coat the entire ham with a thin layer of salt.
Place the ham in a stainless steel or glass container, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of eleven days up to a maxiumum of three weeks. Two weeks is the norm. Be sure to turn the ham from time to time, pouring off any juice that may have leached out, and re-rub any bare patches with salt.
The day before cooking the ham, wash it, rinse out the salt pockets, and soak in cold water overnight.
Drain and dry the ham. Place in a roasting pan on a rack. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes per pound (yes, it'll take awhile) until a thermometer reads 160 degrees at the bone. Remove cover, increase oven temperature to 375, and cook for 15 minutes more to brown the top. Let rest an hour before slicing.
Here's a basic version based on a recipe by Bill Smith, google for a few variations:
One whole, fresh ham (about 20 pounds)
One to two pounds of salt
Rinse and dry the ham. Cut incisions in the meat at each place where a bone protrudes from the ham. Pack the cuts with salt and then then coat the entire ham with a thin layer of salt.
Place the ham in a stainless steel or glass container, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of eleven days up to a maxiumum of three weeks. Two weeks is the norm. Be sure to turn the ham from time to time, pouring off any juice that may have leached out, and re-rub any bare patches with salt.
The day before cooking the ham, wash it, rinse out the salt pockets, and soak in cold water overnight.
Drain and dry the ham. Place in a roasting pan on a rack. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes per pound (yes, it'll take awhile) until a thermometer reads 160 degrees at the bone. Remove cover, increase oven temperature to 375, and cook for 15 minutes more to brown the top. Let rest an hour before slicing.
