Author Topic: Curing help (Read 3720 times)

Siegep01 · « **on:** June 22, 2011, 10:16:36 pm »

I have tried several times to make ham and everytime I end up with salty roast pork.
I used Hugh FW's recipe for a Wiltshire cure. Left the 2kilo leg in the cure for a week, then boiled it for 2 hours and roasted for half an hour, The end result looked and tasted like pork not ham. I did NOT use saltpetre.
Another forum told me you can't do ham without saltpetre. Is that true. Could i be using the wrong salt. I think I have been using rock salt which didn't dissolve when I boiled it in water. Please help.

Eve · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2011, 10:59:27 pm »

Probably not the salt but the cooking time, there's a "how to cook a ham" thread on the pig section:

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=10901.0

We replace the water several times when it's cooking. We don't use saltpetre either, the only thing that will do is keep the ham looking pink on the outside.

Good luck,

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2011, 12:18:59 am »

Well here goes me with my vast experience of exactly one leg cured... !

Saltpetre gives it the pink colour. It will look like pork and not like you expect ham to look if you do not use a curing salt that contains saltpetre.

I use Delia's trick to take the saltiness out. When you are ready to use it, soak it for many hours (overnight is good, changing the water is also good) then boil it with a potato (peeled) in clean water; the potato sucks up the saltiness. Then cook as required - I like it baked.

It will taste like ham if you cure it in brine then treat it as above. It will look like pork unless your curing salt had saltpetre in it.

HTH
Sally

Eve · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2011, 06:27:38 pm »

Should have known that about the potato - we've been soaking it and then refreshing the cooking water because the first cooked ham we ever made was too salty

It'll only be the outside of the ham that discolours, though, the second slice is always pink again - which is a good excuse to cut several slices off when making a sandwich

Snapper · « **Reply #4 on:** June 26, 2011, 06:43:41 pm »

We've been successful for the first time, after several disasters, one using a HFW recipe with Saltpetre. They were so salty they were inedible.

We used 'Supracure' bought from Weschenfelder website. All their cures/ mixes come with instructions and I think are reasonably priced. Ideal for small-scalers like us.
Their sausage mixes are great too, we like the 'Gold' and of course the 'Yorkshire'.

I bring the joints to the boil in cold water, drain it off then cook in foil in the oven, fantastic!