SALT LICK HOME CURED HAM

SALT LICK HOME CURED HAM image

Categories Pork

Number Of Ingredients 8

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One fresh pork ham (leg), skinned and trimmed of most fat (but leave a layer for flavor), will probably weigh 15-20 lbs
Water to cover pork leg completely and snugly in a non-reactive brining vessel (such as a food grade pail or small cooler), plus extra for injecting
Salt or Mortonâs Tender Quick at 3% of project weight*
Sugar (light or dark brown recommended) at 2% of project weight*
.05 oz âpink saltâ per pound of project weight* (use only in conjunction with straight coarse sea or kosher salt. Omit if using Tender Quick!)
3 TBSP pickling spice
3 TBSP Dizzy Pig spice rub (your choice; Cow Lick, Raging River, Swamp Venom, Jamaican Firewalk, Shaking the Tree and Pineapple Head all seem to be tasty ideas to me!)
4-5 cloves garlic

Steps:

In a large stock pot, add water (can use half of necessary amount to infuse ingredients and add remainder as ice cold water later to facilitate cooling), salt (or Tender Quick if using), sugar, cure (if using), pickling spice, Dizzy Pig rub and garlic. Bring to hard boil for 10-12 minutes to infuse the brine with aromatic flavors and dissolve salt and sugar. Cool brine in non-reactive curing vessel (food grade pail or cooler works well for this larger project) until curing brine is 36-38Â°F. Strain brine and draw off approximately 4 cups of curing brine for each ham being cured. With meat injector/syringe, pump as much as 4 cups of brine into the ham, being sure to reach areas close to the bone. This ensures complete and even curing of the ham âright to the boneâ. Immerse injected ham into curing vessel and refrigerate for 8-10 days Hot smoke until internal temperature of ham reaches approximately 135Â°F. At this point, begin to baste with glaze consisting of: 1/4 cup mustard,1/4 cup honey,1/8 cup orange juice, 1tbsp of the Dizzy Pig rub you used in the curing brine Glaze every 15 minutes until internal temp rises to 145-150Â°F Enjoy the best ham youâll ever eat!