On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:11:46 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>Googled for some recipes, looks like a dry curing process that I've not
>tried yet. I'm sure I could get a fresh (uncured) ham but I could not
>find whether or not the rind gets removed before curing.

Ruhlman says to get a leg with the skin on. When I did it last year
(or was it year before last?), I bought the pork from a local farmer
who uses a small meat processor with -- err -- idiosyncratic
tendencies. The ham was cut in half and the rind was removed.
Apparently they think that's a good thing.

I packed the piece that looked most ham like in salt and weighted it
with a plate and a 20-pound barbell. I kept it in the refrigerator for
one day for each pound of weight. After that, I rinsed it (wearing
latex gloves), dried it and rubbed a generous layer of lard onto any
part that wasn't already covered with fat. Next I wrapped it in
several layers of cheese cloth and hung it in a wine storage unit --
one of those thermo electric cabinets that keep wines at about 50 F.

I cut into it after six months, and it was pretty good. Maybe a little
too salty, but nobody I fed it to complained. A friend from Italy
(born in Sicily, raised in Como) said I nailed it.

I got the wine cabinet from Overstock.com, BTW. It cost me about $100.
Mine has an LED light that I sometimes turned on so I could admire my
curing ham. But eventually it came to look like evidence of some
horrible crime, so I left the cabinet dark.
>
>I'm also wondering if this can be done at 40 degrees. My Hobart has the
>capacity if I were to "hang" it from the bottom shelf for the required
>curing time.

That sounds like it would work.
>
>Any ideas? :-)
>
>And could a Pork Shoulder roast (butt) be used?

No idea. But if you do cure your own prosciutto, I highly recommend
you get pastured pork, not something from a factory farm. The flavor
difference is noticeable.

--

modom