www.sausagemaking.org

These are my third and fourth attempts at making my own ham and I have to say that I am over the moon with the results I’m now getting. I’ve been using the “Pauline’s Ham - in a Bag” method and it’s the one I’ll stick with as it’s been such a success and is so easy for me. I’ve got the brining and cooking method down pat and the flavour and texture is perfect so I don’t intend to change a thing!

I use a boneless, free-range pork topside that usually weighs between 1kg and 1.25kg and after brining, I cook it on the stovetop using a very low simmer (barely a ripple) until the internal temperature reaches 68˚C - it does climb to around 71˚C after removing from the pot.

This forum has been very helpful and the recipe/method I use is from Phil’s site - I think? Please correct me if I’m wrong. Anyway my thanks to whoever is responsible.......

Wheels (Phil) will be glad to see that!

It's always good to get feedback - good or bad; but good's better!

Many thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it.

Phil

Thanks, I thought it was wheels

Just a couple of further comments.

The brine calculator on your site only works for meat weighing between 1.5kg-7kg. My weights have been under 1.3kg so for a piece weighing say 1.25kg - I do the calculations for 2.5kg and then halve the amounts. Do you see anything wrong with doing that?

Also my attempts at injecting the required amount of brine into the meat have been quite hit and miss. It doesn't seem to want to stay in and leaks out into the dish it's resting in. I do my best and then just pour it all back into the bag before sealing it up. I suspect for such a small piece of meat, injecting may not even be necessary but I would appreciate your feedback in case there's something wrong with the way I'm doing it.

Cheers,

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll look to altering it for smaller bits of meat.I'm sure there was a good reason at the time as to why I didn't go smaller than 1.5kg, but I can't think what it is at the moment!

I agree that injecting 10% can be a pain in the ****. Jim (Captain Wassname) uses a 6% (I think) method; I keep meaning to do a calculator for that it must be so much easier.

But, to be honest, for the small amounts we need since the kids left home, I use an immersion cure done the same way - in a vac bag. It's saltier and plain, and is good for a cooked ham joint. I need to do a couple more trials and then I'll put it online.

My problem is that we're using less than a tenth of what we were doing due to fewer of us and changes to our diet. This means that everything takes so much longer to develop.

Phil

I believe that ham cooks best as a joint of a least 3lb, and I normally start at 5lb. The thing with cooked ham is that its so moorish you can't help eating it. I cooked a 'Pauline's Ham' a fortnight ago weighing just under 6lb and there's not much left even though there's only the 2 of us to eat it ( both offspring decided to go bandit and become veggies ! I even had a few slices tonight on a homemade pizza. I wrap the joint in foil and it seems to keep it fresh in the fridge, taking a slice off here and there when I feel like it - always a winner - even had chips and ham this week - something I've not had for years and really enjoyed it. As you say 'Crispbaconpls' It's a good recipe and one that suits my taste.

ATB Yotmon.

So is it safe to assume that if it looks right (pink), smells and tastes good and that I’m using the correct amount of curing powder - I don’t need to fret too much about the finer points when it comes to injecting etc?

I’m trying to understand whether there are health and safety issues or not.

Just for a little background to my concerns, many years ago I decided that I would start doing some preserving (canning etc.) so I bought a book that ended up being so technically frightening that I went completely off the idea for fear of killing myself or someone else with botulism.

Trying to find a balance between reasonable care and common sense is my difficulty.

Yotmon, we are a 2 person household also (my husband and myself) and 10 days is the longest one of my hams has lasted and only that long because I insist on not eating it every day. My husband, who is a great lover of proper evening meals, even had ham sandwiches for dinner one night - an absolute first!

I was wondering if it would be possible to use the ‘Ham in a Bag’ method to make corned beef? Could I swap a piece of pork for a piece of beef instead and do everything else the same?
I find this method so easy and so successful that I would love to try it with something else…..

Yes, you could.

I keep meaning to do a calculator for corned beef. I'll put it higher on my 'to do' list!

Phil

Great, I'll give it a go and report on the results.