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Author Topic: hams and freezing cuts in france  (Read 3533 times)

wonderwooly

  • Joined May 2013
hams and freezing cuts in france
« on: October 25, 2014, 03:31:19 pm »
hello there we are coming around to the happy moment of
killing and butchering our own pigs they have led a happy outside
life in the forest and there time is up.

we are in france so please no posts about home killing laws.

we are getting a local butcher in to do the deed and skin,
next morning he will come and we make boudin noir, and pate.
and start the cutting up.

this is my main question, as he is a pro and will work quickly and I want to
learn as much as possible. But he will want me to say how we want it cut.
The Jambon. (back legs) is my main issue because I would like to make ham
but he dosnt do that.
can I freeze a hole leg then defrost it and make ham at chritmas for example.
will it keep that long? the local charcuter said he could do the hole leg for 6euro!
he said it would last about a week then. but will it keep and be good in the freezer
till then?.
or should I get it cut in to smaller amounts off the bone so they could be either
hams or roasts.
I looked in to dry curing with salts but he said the environment is too damp here
he could not do that either.
or would it be best to make it in to ham with brine method and then freeze.
my friend who we are sharing with are just cutting though to make frozen
chunks bone in the middle.
I think that's an opportunity lost, but hea.

also its a porker about 85kg is it possible to get good bacon off of this
and how do I point this out to the french butcher? would I just cut
the potrine finely for streeky?


I don't want to be too fussy because I know the butchers fairly cheep but
don't want too miss an opportunity either.

to any body with experience, thank for looking


 
or should I

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2014, 04:11:47 pm »
I don't have enough experience to answer most of your questions but I went to a talk from a professional earlier in the year. I also asked if I could freeze and then brine at a later date. He said you can do that and in fact the freezing process makes the meat easier to brine.
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

wonderwooly

  • Joined May 2013
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2014, 07:47:29 pm »
thank you Bionic

I don't have enough experience either so thank you that sounds like it could be very usefull, as sunday night is last supper.
and 80 odd kg is a lot to think about, and try to get right, first time round.

MKay

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2014, 11:23:23 am »
Hi Woolly,

Firstly, yes you can freeze and then brine at a later date. my tip is- rinse, dry with papertowel, sit on papertowel and air dry in fridge/cold larder for 24hrs prior to freezeing. You get less exudate on defrost, you can also do this for 6/8hrs prior to brining.
*wet cure only* as a dry cure you want to use the water in the meat as this creates the cure.

85kg is a baconer not a porker, so yes you can make great Bacon, use the Jowl for guanciale, the back for bacon and the belly for pancetta. That way you get some of everything.

If you have a local charcutier ask him if he will make you an air dryed ham, this will then last the winter, long after you have eaten the fresh 'holiday ham'.

Do you have a book on charcuterie? If not have a look at Michael Ruhlmans.

Tamsaddle

  • Joined May 2011
  • Hampshire, near Portsmouth
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2014, 12:02:35 pm »
I have done freezing whole legs, then brining later for Christmas hams with no problems at all, nor any difference in taste from using fresh legs.   I usually put the frozen leg straight into the brine, so that it defrosts into the brine, and keeps the whole thing cool for the first few days with no chance of going off/rancid while defrosting in air.

wonderwooly

  • Joined May 2013
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2014, 07:29:16 pm »
hi great thank you everone

(85kg is a baconer not a porker, so yes you can make great Bacon, use the Jowl for guanciale, the back for bacon and the belly for pancetta. That way you get some of everything.)
thanks i will defernatly make bacon...

humm, my local Charcutier said he could not use the salt method like in guanciale,
because the air here is too humid, and it would spoil, mostly I would say that stile
is down south (france) we are north.
how did you do it there? and what about the salt mixture hoe dose that work and how
could I make it or but it?   

Coeur de Chene

  • Joined Mar 2014
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2014, 09:48:58 am »
We're in central France, its very damp here. I froze everything from 2 pigs as our kill was in the summer and we were concerned about flies, and defrosted to make hams and bacon. I've dry cured in salt and everything is great. That's on recommendation from all the neighbours, who are all born and bred local smallholders and who all use that method. Not sure why the charcutier won't do it as its a very traditional method for the whole of France.

wonderwooly

  • Joined May 2013
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2014, 09:27:02 pm »
hi thanks again for all of your resopnces, the girls have been done with.
and 6am tomorow we start the work...
it is very good to know that freezing then ham works it just takes
a bit of the presser off the disisions.
as to french mans opinion he's Breton... say no more they have there way.
some times its also good to try and understand local logic first.
thanks all cold blue sky's here all the better.
a+
 

devonlady

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: hams and freezing cuts in france
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2014, 07:43:22 am »
Wonderwooly, it's damp here in Devon and I have dry cured a pig this autumn, bacon, hams and sausages. All gone very well.

 

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