[Pigglewiggle]

 Hello,

 We have picked up our first bacon pig from the butchers this morning, lots of lovely looking bacon and joints. Also two huge ham's.
 We have absolutely no idea what to do with them, am planning on spending the afternoon on the internet looking for inspiration.

 If anyone has any tried and tested ideas, all will be very welcome.... one of them will feed us for a month !!!

   Debbie

[suziequeue]

Dear Piggle Wiggle

This ham recipe is from HILARYSMUM and is on this forum somewhere but I can never find it so I PM'd her and got this recipe. I haven't tried it yet but am planning to very soon.

TO PREPARE THE CURE

To every litre of water add:

340 grammes salt
60 grammes sugar (brown for pref)
then
about 20 juniper berries
same cloves
about 40 peppercorns  (My cure is usually in 6 litre lots)

Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes.  If any scum appears skim it off.  Allow to cool then chill.

TO CURE THE HAM

In a non metal container leave ham making sure its covered by the water.
A large fridge is an ideal place
Whole boned out legs would need about two weks
Check the water temperature daily as it is necessary to keep the meat at 4 deg.
Try to turn the ham over twice a day.
Use freezer packs or something to weigh down the meat so it remains covered.   

When its had enough time in the salt you have the option of soaking it for 24 hours. Opinions vary on this
Then leave the meat to dry in the fridge allowing as much air to circulate as pos for around 2 days.

TO COOK THE HAM

When you have rested your cured ham for 2 days, simmer for 20 mins. per kilo. (very approx) 
Test with a knife to make sure it is cooked through. 
Leave it in the water to cool before removing. 
Let it rest and shove on the glaze.

This will give you glorious ham sandwiches although the meat is a little firmer than the wet flabby stuff from the supermarkets.

TO GLAZE THE HAM

Remove the skin, and any excess fat. 
Cover the fat with a mix of dry mustard and honey, score into diamond shapes and put a clove in each diamond if you have time.
Put this in a preheated oven as hot as pos. for about 10 minutes, just to finish off the glaze.
Let it cool before slicing really thin. 

Copyright/ acknowledgement HILARYSMUM

I hope this is helpful

Susanna

[Sudanpan]

When we picked up our ham joints (ie cured meat) from the butcher we just roasted them - about 25mins per kilo.
They were DEEEEE-LICIOUS 
Tish

[oaklandspigs]

Hey Sudanpan, great to hear - pigs just get better and better, fun to keep and delicious to eat !

[Hilarysmum]

Thanks  SuzieQ for posting this.  Was brining a ham yesterday and had a senior citizen moment when I forgot the recipe.  Had to look it up on here. 

[suziequeue]

LOLOLOLOL - glad it's been useful :-)

[dizzy1pig]

cook them in slow cooker in coke yummy

[Hilarysmum]

cook them in slow cooker in coke

 

Sounds interesting

[suziequeue]

cook them in slow cooker in coke yummy

Mmmmmm - how does that work dizzy??

[faith0504]

mmm slower cooker with some fruit juice, i.e orange juice, cooked one at the week end it is blooming marvellous 

[ballingall]

We boil ours, then change to fresh water to re-boil (makes it less salty- and leaves lots of lovely ham stock to make soup!). Once it is virtually done, and a little honey and brown sugar to glaze, then pop into the oven to harden off the glaze. I love ham, done like that- it is my favourite food.

Beth

[rogermunro]

just picked up my tamworth from butchers  got a leg boned and want to do it for palma ham  was told to salt it and leave in a nan metal container with weight on it for two weeks draing of liquid every day then hanging it in muslim for 6 months to a year  does this sound ok  ?

[Eve]

Yes. Cover the flesh side in your pig's rendered fat to keep the skin moist before putting it in the muslin (and check your spelling on that word!  ) and keep it cold.

[Hilarysmum]

Yes(and check your spelling on that word!  )   

    made me smile

[rogermunro]

were do i get MUSLIN cloth from?