Dry Cured Ham ...... Suffolk Ham

[BriCan]

I'd love to, but it's not to be.

I will settle for my fill when I return

Are there any 'micro breweries' in your area that you could persuade to produce a stout? Personally, I fancy doing this recipe with a 'milk stout', I feel that the bitter hoppiness (sp?) of a true stout may be detrimental. However, very few breweries still make this, it was common in the 60's and 70's, but I guess it's gone out of fashion.

Been doing all the food shows (the commercial ones) looking for one that we could partner up with to make a steak and ale pie. At the present I am doing a steak and Guinness pie (pardon the pun) a killer. The ales that I have tried from the micro breweries come across as nats piss, most of what I have sampled up to now I have had to reach for the mouth wash. My problem is that my standards are very high wither that is good or bad is a debatable point

added: Oh, that Schinken looks superb by the way.

Thank you. It melts in your mouth, starts with a slight salty tang with a hint cloves resting behind the juniper. All in all I love the taste very addictive; there was this one person whom I gave a taste and they would not let me talk for close to five minutes as they savoured with each motion of their mouth quietly describing what they would pair and serve with it, me I think I just stood there with my mouth ajar.

Robert

[wheels]

I'm thinking more along the lines of a 'milk stout' for when I do mine. I'll need to sample loads and loads of options before I decide though!

I wasn't being nasty when I said I couldn't send the beer - it's just that a Tun is too Firkin(s) big!

(Ok I'm leaving!)

Phil

[BriCan]

I'm thinking more along the lines of a 'milk stout' for when I do mine. I'll need to sample loads and loads of options before I decide though!

I wasn't being nasty when I said I couldn't send the beer - it's just that a Tun is too Firkin(s) big!

None take.

As said, I am always pushing the envelope; trying new things, coming across old recipes that catch my attention and when I get snowed under with work the creative juices start flowing. Some of my best work has been done at Christmas time when sanity went out the door taking along reason and common sense. Which reminds me I have not made the West Country short back bacon for some time, have to go looking for the cider again

Robert

[Andreas]

That schinken looks absolutely amazing, so amazing infact that I think I will try making a Suffolk/Schinken fusion instead of a parma style ham! So I have even more questions if you dont mind.

Should I cure it in salt for the same amount of time as the Suffolk ham, I.E 3 days per inch?

And when you cure the meat in the brine, do you replace after a few days? If I cure a ham of 5 kg that means 15 days in the brine. Will it stay fresh for that long?

And Treacle,, not sure what that is, I have found dark treacle in the "English Shop" in Gothenburg. Is that the correct stuff?

But in the Schinken post you wrote 1 week in salt, 1 week in brine and that confuses me a bit, how big was that piece?

[BriCan]

That schinken looks absolutely amazing, so amazing infact that I think I will try making a Suffolk/Schinken fusion instead of a parma style ham!

So I have even more questions if you dont mind.

I will try and answer them to the best of my ability, if at all something dose not sound right ....... or I am not explaining to the best of my ability please let me know.

Should I cure it in salt for the same amount of time as the Suffolk ham, I.E 3 days per inch?

No as these two hams are totally different, the Suffolk has a bone in it which is the reason for the 3 days per inch, for the cure to reach the centre. Think of doing a prosciutto as this has the bone in, the difference between the Suffolk and prosciutto is that you are drying/aging the prosciutto for a minimum of nine months and the Suffolk is aged for six to eight weeks again it is all down to the weather/humidity and you will be cooking this ham.

The Schinken is boneless which cuts down the curing time; the whole pork leg is taken apart by the seams so that we end up with four pieces and less thicker pieces of pork for curing. Hope this make sense.

I tried to get a Sow leg in on my pork delivery tomorrow but I was informed later today by my supplier that all Sow legs had been boned out so has been reordered for delivery next Tuesday. If you wait until then I will bone the leg out in stages to show the cutting/seaming lines, if you take it slow it is really simple

And when you cure the meat in the brine, do you replace after a few days? If I cure a ham of 5 kg that means 15 days in the brine. Will it stay fresh for that long?

The brine is there for the length of time that the meat is in it use once and throw away, do not reuse. I do know that there will be people who will disagree with the no reuse brine deal, but until you have been making and using brines for some time it is not worth it. Both of these brines are a cooked brine rather than the regular type of brines of salt, cure, and sugar and for the non purest; phosphate.

The Suffolk brine was made up but because of the cost of the English beer I was using put a restriction on the amount (brine) I was able to make. To get around of having to make a large amount I placed the leg into a vacuum bag and added 1 Lt of the cooked brine then extracted the air sealing the brine in with the leg. With most of the brine sitting on the bottom of the bag I had to make sure that all sides received the same amount of the cooked brine. To facilitate this every morning upon arriving at work I would turn the leg over so that over the course of the day the brine would seep down to the bottom hence the length of time in the brine as I needed the flavour of the brine to penetrate to the centre (about five inches), so 3 days x 5 inches would be 15 days. Please remember this is not something that is written in stone, it is a guide line to achieve the taste/flavour that you like.

The Schinken because of the thickness only needs to be in the brine for seven days.

And Treacle,, not sure what that is, I have found dark treacle in the "English Shop" in Gothenburg. Is that the correct stuff?

Sounds like it, if it is like this then yes. http://www.foodireland.com/images/desserts/570403.gif

But in the Schinken post you wrote 1 week in salt, 1 week in brine and that confuses me a bit, how big was that piece?

As said above, I seam the leg into pieces so the thickness is not the same as a whole leg of pork.

I will do one (Suffolk and Schinken) of each taking photos as I go as pictures are worth a thousand words and sometimes explain better.
Questions????

Robert

[Andreas]

Thank you again.

That answered the questions I have for now, I wont be able to try this until october so Im sure I will come back. I think I will do one shinken with pork and one with boar. I think that could be very interesting.

Well, just one more question about the brine,, can I use the same recipe for shinken as the one for the Suffolk ham? Im sorry if I make you repeat yourself.

And yes, please post pictures, it helps a lot and it does wonder for the inspiration

[BriCan]

Thank you again.

That answered the questions I have for now, I wont be able to try this until october so Im sure I will come back. I think I will do one shinken with pork and one with boar. I think that could be very interesting.

I defiantly think it might be very interesting, remember that with a regular pork leg you will have a lot of liquid (weight) loss which is the reason why I use a Sow leg. I myself would be hesitant on using a boar leg as it might be strong tasting.

Well, just one more question about the brine,, can I use the same recipe for shinken as the one for the Suffolk ham? Im sorry if I make you repeat yourself.

No problem, each cure is designed for a particular taste and therefore if you was to use the same cure for everything you would in fact get sick of your products and in essence stop the creative juices flowing and you would get dishearten. Just think of it as producing Aquavit each one has it's own distinct flavor

The Schinken has the aroma of the cloves with the juniper following close behind with a hint of the garlic in the back ground, where as the Suffolk has a robust flavor where you ponder which is the dominate spice as the seem to meld together but there is the richness/sweetness of the treacle which to me is enjoyable and at the same time you are searching in the far reaches of your mind to grasp hold of that elusive flavor that you know you should remember until you remember the ale.

It's like doing Landjagar, the mass produced ones all taste the same but for toughs people with the discerning taste who would rather have the quality over the quantity there are a few of us left producing what could be classed as a limited edition. The ones that I have done uses 2 oz of rum that has had been infused with juniper berries from the soaking.

And yes, please post pictures, it helps a lot and it does wonder for the inspiration

Consider it done, will start the process next week, I have had a client ask for a repeat of the Suffolk hams, this time boneless.

Robert

[Mike D]

I have been reading this thread with interest and only realised that the Tate & Lyle treacle may just be peculiar to us in the UK.

Andreas, I have found this link to what may be the English Food Shop in Gothenburg - "Janes Place" - here is the link to the black treacle that Brican noted, it is priced at 22Kr ( we pay 5.45Kr or £0.47p for this )

http://www.janesplace.se/shop/lyles-black-treacle


Hope this helps.

[Andreas]

That is a new "english shop" for me, did not know about that one. Very close to the other one so I will check it out. Yes it is a bit of a price difference, I will however move to england in about 12 months so then it will be cheap for me aswell

Purely offtopic,, but your house prices are INSANE! You get a mansion in sweden for the same price as a terrace house in southern england! I feel a stomach ulcer coming on!

[Ruralidle]

deleted, see below

[Ruralidle]

OK; so I've gone and done it. I couldn't resist any longer so my "Suffolk" Black Ham is in the making.

In the brine - the bag was just big enough!




Then, after 3 weeks in the brine (turned daily - well almost )




It's in the smoker as I type.

[BriCan]

Them there photos do not do it justice ---- I can taste it waaaayyyyyyyyyyy over this way

I await with popcorn and beer for part two of this program

[wheels]

That's the business! Superb.

Phil

[Vindii]

Awesome!

[Ruralidle]

Well, the ham is out of the smoker. Its colour hadn't changed much from the almost black of the brining so no photos of that stage but I cooked it, removed the skin and glazed the fat with a small quantity of maple syrup - partly as a tribute to BriCan and partly because I like it!





The piece of pork started out at 4.7kg and it was ready to eat on Christmas Day. Half of it has gone already - it is bl...y fantastic! BriCan's recipe is a winner and I would recommend that everyone tries this!

Happy New Year.