In article >,
"modom (palindrome guy)" > wrote:

> 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.

The distance between the bottom shelf and the bottom of the 'frige is a
good 24". It's a 40 cubic foot capacity commercial refrigerator.
It lives on the insulated back porch and has a temperature gauge on the
outside of it so I can monitor the temp.

> >
> >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.

Thanks. I think I can get whole, skin on pork at the asian market, but
I'd most likely check locally first. I'm not sure I'd want to try this
with feral hogs even tho' I should be able to "harvest" one of those
myself. I worry about wild pork and parasites, but that long cure time
ought to take care of that?
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe: