when i wet cure and smoke my ham and bacon should i leave the skin on or remove it from the bacon and ham ? ... also has anyone here wet cured and smoked fresh ham steaks? how did the turn out?? and and how did you cure them . i see lots of info on hams but not much on ham steaks
wet curing bacon and ham should i leave the skin on
- Thread starter jd brooks
- Start date
The last time I cured bacon, I took the rind off one belly and left in on the other. After smoking, we did a taste test and found that it made no difference to the taste. It's possible the rindless one might be easier to slice if, like me, you have a garden-variety (Krups) slicer but I took the rind off the second one as well before slicing. I don't know if this answers your bacon question. I've never done ham.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I've brine cured fresh hams that I've cut into steaks, yes. Turned out well.
For fresh hams remove the skin. For bacon you can go either way, removing it before or after curing or waiting till after smoking. Or you can just leave it on.
Par-freeze the bacon for easier slicing.
For fresh hams remove the skin. For bacon you can go either way, removing it before or after curing or waiting till after smoking. Or you can just leave it on.
Par-freeze the bacon for easier slicing.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
The center is best -- not too big, not too small -- but I do not recommend removing the bone. It holds things together quite nicely. Just cut with a knife to the bone then use a stainless-bladed saw for the bone (wiping off bone fragments/dust after).
Is there any particular reason you want steaks? Personally, not a fan so I seldom crosscut. I much prefer the texture of the meat carved lengthwise, and one can cut it thinner from the get-go, something I also prefer.
Is there any particular reason you want steaks? Personally, not a fan so I seldom crosscut. I much prefer the texture of the meat carved lengthwise, and one can cut it thinner from the get-go, something I also prefer.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
we usually have ham steaks for weekend breakfast 3-4 time a month and they are expensive at the store .. i may just wet cure the whole ham if i can not find a cure for the steaks plus i really like the way store bought ham steaks with the juice in the package taste . if i were to do the steaks should i just wet cure them or should i smoke them as well? seems like the smoker would dry them out
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
If you want hams steaks cure a whole ham, smoke it, rest it very well, then cut the steaks yourself either by crosscutting through the bone or by using the onther method I mentioned. I can't imaging going through the entire curing/smoking procedure just for a few steaks when for only a little more time I could do a whole ham. Again, for steaks, one can remove entire pieces of the muscles from the leg after the rest and simply crosscut those -- very easy. They will freeze well too.
Cooking or smoking equipment -- be it a WSM or otherwise -- doesn't 'dry out' anything. If the item in question becomes dry the fault is with the cook, not the equipment. Drying out means the food is being overcooked.
Cooking or smoking equipment -- be it a WSM or otherwise -- doesn't 'dry out' anything. If the item in question becomes dry the fault is with the cook, not the equipment. Drying out means the food is being overcooked.