On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:12:06 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>I helped my dad butcher 1 or 2 hogs per year a long time ago. A *long*
>time ago. The hanging weight was usually about 200 pounds. We built
>big walk-in cooler that we used to cool down the carcass and also to
>smoke the sausage, bacon, and hams (mostly sausage.) We cut and wrapped
>a lot of fresh pork and froze it, and made our own lard and cracklins.
>I don't remember what we did most of the cracklins.
>
>Did I mention that it was a long time ago?
>
>The hams can spoil at the bone if the salt doesn't penetrate fast
>enough. We used Morton's "Sugar Cure" and IIRC we boned out the hams to
>avoid the possibility of spoilage. The hams were rubbed with the cure
>at the prescribed rate, and stored in the crisper of the refrigerator
>until the salt fully penetrated the meat. Then they were hanged in the
>smokehouse-cooler and smoked with hickory chips and oak sawdust. The
>ham was incredibly salty.
>
>If I were to do it again today, I think I would leave the bone in and
>inject a salt/nitrite solution along the bone, and rub the outside with
>the sugar cure (despite its name, it is mostly salt.) After a week or
>two in the refrigerator I'd hang them in a cool place -- a cave would
>be good -- until they dried out properly and aged.
>
>I have made dry salami recently, and the problem is finding a cool place
>for them to dry that is *humid* enough so it doesn't form an impermeable
>layer on the outside and rot in the middle. I think ham would have the
>same problem. You want it to dry slowly so the moisture in the middle
>can migrate to the surface.
>
Thanks. I'd thought it might be something to do with there still
being blood in the center near the bone. I've read blood will lead to
spoilage when you're curing ham.

The directions I have involve curing in salt in the refrigerator one
day for each pound of fresh ham -- e.g., 15 days in the cure for a
15-lb. fresh ham. It also calls for pressing the ham while it cures
in the fridge. Then the exposed flesh is coated with lard and cracked
pepper and the whole thing is wrapped in four layers of cheesecloth,
tied, and hung in a 60-degree (F), 60-70% humidity environment for at
least 4-5 months. No smoking is involved in this version.

That medium dry, cool room is what I'm pondering right now.
--

modom

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