First ever Ham

[fusion555]

So my first Ham, quite pleased with it, i smoked it for 2 hrs with Oak, probably 1/2 hr too long, was hot smoked until int temp 155F

[wheels]

Nice job.

Phil

[DanMcG]

Loin? looks darn good to me! What recipe did you use?

[fusion555]

Used a recipe called "Sweetheart Ham" from a guy called Butterbean over on the wedlinydomowe forum.
I didnt inject, just left them in ref for the 10 days turning every day, Started with 2 Sirloins just at 1kg each
The brine as written in the recipe covered them just right.

Brine
Add 3.9% salt to a gallon of water. This equates to 151.2 grams of salt and will make a 15 degree brine.
171 grams of brown sugar
171 grams of sugar
1 TBS of Red Pepper Flakes
10 Peppercorns
15 or more Bay Leaves - I get even more generous with these because I like the flavor.
2.5 grams of fennel seed
2 tsp of ground thyme
3 onions quartered
40 grams of chopped garlic - about 2.5 TBS
Pink Salt - per label - about 2.5 TBS
Bring water and salt to a boil then add sugars and other ingredients and turn down the
heat and add curing salt and let simmer for 10 minutes or so.
Let brine cool. Once cooled, weigh the meat and inject 10% of each cut of meat with the brine.
Soak the loins for 10 days moving them around occasionally.
Remove and rinse well with water and hang in refrigerator for a few hours to drip dry.
If you are going to smoke them, just hang them outside to air dry and let them warm some
and become suitable to take smoke.
If you are smoking them, hot smoke till they reach an internal temp of 155F.
If you are not smoking them, slice and package and freeze for later use.
If not hot smoking cook or poach to 155f before freezing

[Swing Swang]

I do like that ham very much indeed - never done any hot smoking - you might just have inspired me - Philip

[wheels]

That's a very low degree brine for curing.

You say it was designed for injection? As an injection brine, it's awful.

It's fortuitous that it's worked well for 2kg of meat over 10 days as an immersion cure. The numbers crunch beautifully for that (other than the low brine°).

Sometimes the curing Gods smile on you! Can you choose my next weeks lottery numbers?

Great looking meat.

Phil

[fusion555]

That's a very low degree brine for curing.

You say it was designed for injection? As an injection brine, it's awful.

It's fortuitous that it's worked well for 2kg of meat over 10 days as an immersion cure. The numbers crunch beautifully for that (other than the low brine°).

Sometimes the curing Gods smile on you! Can you choose my next weeks lottery numbers?

Great looking meat.

Phil

Phil, you know im just a newb at this so i cant really answer your questions about being designed for injection or not, lottery numbers i can pick, just cant seem to get the right ones

Colin

[wheels]

Sorry Colin.
You said that you didn't inject it, so I assumed that the recipe said to inject it but that you didn't? I understand now.

Phil