Title: Curing and Smoking Hams
Categories: Info Pork Smoke Preserve Blank
Yield: 1 Text file

		For each 10 lb of meat:
1	c	Salt
1/4	c	Sugar
2	ts	Saltpeter
2		Bay leaves, ground
2		Coriander seeds, crushed
3		Cloves, ground
6		Peppercorns, crushed

There are two ways to cure a ham before smoking it: brining and dry- curing. Dry-curing is easier for the amateur, the resulting ham is more tolerant to flucuating temperatures during processing and it is less salty. Hams should ideally be cured and stored at a temp of 36 to 40 F.

To dry-cure ham, allow the meat to cool naturally as rapidly as possible. Cut into large pieces and leave some skin on for the meat hooks to go into or the weight of the meat might tear the flesh. Spread the pieces on a rack with no touching or overlapping. Sprinkle them lightly with salt. When cool, rub them repeatedly with the spiced sugar- salt mixture. Make sure every surface is coated. then pack in salt. Allow three days per pound [per piece].

Hang the hams in the smoke house or a large smoker, so that they don't touch each other. Allow three days to smoke and dehydrate and do not let the temp go over 120 F. When cool, one old-fashioned way to store them is to wrap in a cloth and bury them in a wooden box in the wood ashes from the smoker. The ashes will deter moisture and insects and intensify the smoked taste. They can also be refrigerated at least 3 weeks and frozen for up to 3 months. A heavily smoked, spiced and dehydrated ham like Prosciutto needs no refrigeration.

From the Joy of Cooking. Posted by Jim Weller.

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