Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
askewgardens

Does anyone here cure their own meat?

askewgardens
19 years ago

I have a question regarding curing a ham. I cured a ham with Mortons sugar cure and followed direction on the bag. I was hoping for a country salt cured ham. What I got is a country ham flavored pork roast. It has the right flavor, but it's sorta tough, and dry, and doesn't have the right texture. Anyone know anything about this?

Comments (11)

  • tedp2
    19 years ago

    I've never tried it myself but used to help my father butcher and cure our pigs every autum. Sounds to me like you've got a very well dured ham. Raw, cured ham is dry and a little tough not at all like the texture of a grocery store boiled ham.
    Keep it in a cool dry place for about 6 months to age properly then, using a very sharp knife, slice off 1/4 inch pieces and fry in a seasoned cast iron skillet to make the best redeye gravy. Serve with hot bisquits. Be sure your slices are perpendicular to the bone not parallel with it.

  • askewgardens
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi thanks for your note and advice. I grew up on country ham, so I'm trying to replicate what I used to have in KY. What we cured is close, but not quite, come to think of it though I think those hams were cured two years. At least they're called 2 year hams. Angela

  • tony1234
    19 years ago

    I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE HAMS. IS THERE ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO MAKE ALL TYPES OF HAMS COOKED OR CURED SMOKED.AND WHAT PART OF THE PIG IS BEST FOR HAMS. THANKS IN ADVANCE.

  • tedp2
    19 years ago

    The only part of the pig that makes ham is the upper portion of the rear leg. The buttocks. Shoulders can be cured the same way and are just as flavorful but not as big slices. Bacon is the belly cured the same way.
    I gather from Askew that the directions are on the bag of Mortons sugar cure salt.

  • tony1234
    19 years ago

    TEDP2 ty for that. how long and where is the best place to cure. cold and how cold thank you for your help.AND is there a certain way to cut the meat from the back leg of pig or does not matter .

  • tedp2
    19 years ago

    Gee. Explaining how to butcher an entire hog would be a major undertaking.
    Maybe you can find that elsewhere on the net.
    You need to pick a time when the temperature is predicted to stay below 40 deg. for several days. "Hog killin' weather". Hopefully for two weeks or more. Takes about two weeks to cure the meat. Best if you leave it in the salt a little longer. After about three weeks take it up and rinse the salt off. Dry it and hang it up to age, preferably in a cloth sack or bag. Best if you have a smoke house and burn hickory wood to smoke it.

  • njoynit
    18 years ago

    I learned this year how to slaughter a hog.I got to help with one& then the 2nd time got to do some of the cutting.It is still tricky even seeing it.We still ain't got the bacon part right.I WANTED to cure my own ham,but could not find saltpep here.I was told to mix the saltpep& mortons cureing salt together.So I spent $5 and had a meat place here do it for me.It turned out nice.hopefully will learn more for next year.Bacan& Ham were very tastey hogs.

  • Millie_36
    18 years ago

    Country meat processors...those who do custom butchering, and curing, should have the cures available and maybe some advice. If using the sugar cure, you need to inject some of the cure deep into and along the bone of large bone-in chunks of meat such as ham. Morton Salt used to have a butchering and meat curing book for sale way back when.

    I believe there is at least two methods for salt curing. I have seen neighbors use dry salt and pack in heavy waxed paper lined boxes...it is "worked" every day...turned and repositioned. After a period of time is is rinsed, and then scalded before hanging in the smoke house. They used a cool smoke.

    I remember my mother preparing a wooden barrel for salt cured meat. This was before we had electricity, so it was left in the salt cure liquid...taken out as needed and soaked in plain water to desalt before cooking. She used enough salt to make a brine that would float an egg. I would suggest that if you decide to do this, buy the canning salt without anti-caking additives.

    Here is link that may help.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Meat curing

  • bp50
    18 years ago

    If any of you are still interested in curing hams, I have an old family recipe that I use and it turns out some pretty good cured ham. Feel free to contact me.

  • tedp2
    18 years ago

    Thank you Millie for that web site. I have a recipe for summer sausage that calls for Morton smoke flavored salt and I haven't been able to find any locally. Now I have ordered some.
    Now that we know all about salt curing pork, I have another question. Does anyone know how they corn beef? I think you use saltpeter but I don't know how, or how much and is there anything else?

  • mercury12
    18 years ago

    I found this site about processing a pig. It could be some help to butchering and preparing the meat.

    regards

    helen

    Here is a link that might be useful: pork processing

Sponsored