Dry cured pork.

[pigletwillie]

After my foraging mission to Melton market, my project of having a home dry cured ham ready for our birthday party in July next year has started.

I got a whole leg of pork for £20 (should be £35) and this evening it was washed, dryed and set on an inch of salt in a box, covered with salt till it was covered with an inch of salt and then a breeze block was put on top to keep the joint down.

As it weighs 9Kg, it will take 27 days (3 days per Kg) before it comes out of the salt. It wil be washed in vinegar, dried and wrapped in muslin before being hung up under our verandah to finish curing for 5-6 months.

[lynda66]

so do you cook it after that?? or do you eat it just dried?? (sorry to sound thick) ...... sounds yummy anyway, guess much like gammon? yum

[shirlthegirl43]

I remember my mum buying cured pork (bacon) years ago and we hung it in the porch and sliced off what was needed.

A few years ago I bought a whole cured ham in Atlanta and soaked boiled and baked it for Christmas when we were there (a little early as we had to leave a bit sooner than expected) - yummy!!!

[pigletwillie]

so do you cook it after that?? or do you eat it just dried?? (sorry to sound thick) ...... sounds yummy anyway, guess much like gammon? yum

It a parma or Sorento style ham Lynda, eaten just as it is. No cooking required.

[BrideXIII]

wow, might give that a try sometime, didn't realise it was that easy!

any particular type of salt?

[pigletwillie]

Just bags of cooking salt Bride, cheap as, well salt (78p for 3Kg)

[BrideXIII]

Just bags of cooking salt Bride, cheap as, well salt (78p for 3Kg)

sounds like a plan then, will bookmark this page and see how i go, only thing is, i don't have a verandah ( too posh) so where should i hang it? plus i will have to try and get some muslin, last time i tried not even the butcher could get me any.

[shirlthegirl43]

would these work?

3 Muslin Straining Bags Winemaking Jam Making Homebrew on eBay, also, Beer Wine Making, Food Drink, Home Garden (end time 06-Jan-09 13:27:14 GMT)

[BrideXIII]

would these work?

3 Muslin Straining Bags Winemaking Jam Making Homebrew on eBay, also, Beer Wine Making, Food Drink, Home Garden (end time 06-Jan-09 13:27:14 GMT)

they may well be perfect, i shall remember to actually look on ebay next time, i forget you can get absolutely anything on there that shops just don't seem to do these days.

[pigletwillie]

Just go to a car boot. It costs a £1 a roll. if your stuck I will get you a roll.

[bobleponge]

PW, 2 summers ago I did something similar with a leg from one of my pigs.
I followed the recipe in HFW's book, weighed it, put it in salt and chucked in peppercorns as well. Weighted it all down and waited the allocated time as shown per weight in Lord HFW's book.
Took it out, gave it a rinse and left it to air dry in my willow tree, wrapped in a chicken wire cage to stop free munching for birds.
Not that I would in any way deem myself worthy to give advice to a mod, but my observation would be to possibly think of slightly fewer days than you think in the salt, in your case I would suggest 24-25 days.
My ham was lovely, but just slightly on the salty side. Eaten with something sweet its wonderful, but on its own in a sandwich the salt is definately noticeable.
Of course, if you like salty food, I shall get my coat right now.
Final comment, if you are friendly with a butcher, or have access to a proper slicing machine, use it. I cut mine as fine as I could, when it was ready, and it was lovely. I gave a chunk to my mate the butcher to slice it at work, and it was fantastic in the thinner slices.
Bride, try a dressmaking shop. I bought a huge roll of muslin from a local shop in La Guerche (you could try there if you're passing.)
If you have anywhere cool and with a bit of air getting through it, you can hang it there. As I said, mine was outside until it got warm, then put it in the garage.

[pigletwillie]

As you have done the deed Bob and I havent, your tip will be acted upon and said leg removed from the salt a bit earlier. Thanks for the info.

[Wren]

they may well be perfect, i shall remember to actually look on ebay next time, i forget you can get absolutely anything on there that shops just don't seem to do these days.

I use these bags for holding whole ginger an chillies when chutney making. They are 'not' be big enough to get a joint of meat inside.

Wren