This is not my recipe, I found it elsewhere, there is still time to make that Xmas gammon ...
Honey Cure for Bacon & Gammon.
This is a brine cure producing a sweet cure bacon.
You will need a non metalic container to cure your meat in and a wooden board to weigh it down or you can use freezer blocks they work very well.
Brine. To 1 ltr.water cold is ok.
140 grams Curing Salt. ( Sel Nitrite here in France)
35 grams Crystallised Honey or Cane Sugar.
about 20 cloves, same Juniper berries (optional)
Disolve salt and honey or sugar in the water, make up enough brine to cover the piece of meat completely. Bring to boiling, skim off scum, add Juniper berries and cloves (optional). Weigh it down with the wooden board. Chill to 4 or 5 deg. temperature is critical.( I use an old fridge for making bacon).
Take the piece of pork to be transformed, maybe a piecs of belly for the first try, and measure , skin-side to inside, allow 24 hours in the brine for each inch of thickness. So if its 2 inches thick, 48 hours in the brine. After allotted time, remove from brine and pat dry. Leave to continue drying in a cool, airy place for 36 to 48 hours( put in an old pillowcase to stop flies if it's in summer). When drying time is over, chill, this will make it easy to slice. Now cook and ENJOY.
If you find this recipe to mild for your taste, leave meat in the brine for an extra 12/24 hours.
Gammons can be made the same way. With a large joint, say half a leg on the bone, measure the joint skin-side to skin-side across the meat, and use that to calculate the time in the brine. If on the bone I use a syringe and large hollow needle ( available fron your local vet) to inject brine into centre of the meat, next to the bone in several places once a day.
This Gammon I find I don't have to soak prior to cooking
Note if it is too salty add a couple of tablespoonsful of milk to the water when boiling the gammon.
Topic: Gammon recipe unashamadely borrowed (Read 15260 times)
