Happiness is #2

[HomeBrew2]

I was prompted by RobertN's post about his cider makin's to do something that, among others, I have not done much of since getting my tractor and working it. I'm a home brewer too but not actively for a year and a half. Just can't justify the time for the time-being.
But, one thing that's pretty quick and easy, that I really yearn for is home made ham ... kindof more important since current girlfriend likes it too.
Admittedly, my streamlined version is more like Canadian bacon, it sure works for me.
I just put two 2# pork loins in the crock to sleep in the soup till Saturday night. Then drain over night. Then smoke over native oak chips Sunday. Not much work and really worth the effort ... like Robert's cider.
Cheers!

 

[RobertN]

Boy Howdy! Now, seeing as you're only a few hours from here...

I could envision some ham cooking in a dutch oven over an open fire, while sipping some cider Then a nice El Dorado or Amador Cab or Merlot to go with the finished ham...

I could see a get together sometime right after Thanksgiving. Cider should be bottled and have a little fizz by then

 

[EddieWalker]

We have a few hogs running around our place and like to try new recipes, or ways to prepare them. Could you be more specific in how you do this? I'm a terrible cook and have a mental disability when it comes to cooking, so please think of this as how you'd advice a 5 year old child. hahahaha

For example, I have no idea what "... in the crock to sleep in the soup till Saturday night."

Is the crock a crock pot? What is the soup? How long do you let is sleep in the soup? hahaha Oh yeah, does sleep have any specific meaning?

I'm really lost here as I'm sure you can tell. After you let it sleep, how do you actualy smoke it? Do you have to have a smoker? Can I use my grill, or will that dry it out too much?

Sorry for all the questions, it's just that I don't have any good ways to cook the hogs we shoot. I just grill them and eat them.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[dooleysm]

Grilled pig is about the best thing I can think of to eat. Don't mess with perfection.

 

[scott_vt]

Hey Homebrew,
Im like Eddie, could you be a little more specific on what your marinating with other than cider Im gettin hungry just lookin Oh BTW I love smoked anything

 

[HomeBrew2]

Robert, That sure sounds doable!!! You should know, I am severely prejudiced in favor of California wine (and beer, etc). Really nice getting to the point that no matter where you go, in California, you can get local wine

 

[HomeBrew2]

Fellas,
I'm more than happy to elaborate.

I'm sure a big fan of grilled pig too ... any [mostly] cooked pig is a treat for me. (wild pig, fully cooked).

It seems that ham and bacon have an almost universal appeal. Though, like factory beer, wine and hooch, I enjoy them but really like to do it myself ... maybe it's better, maybe it's just ... my creation.

Cured meat. (research Smithfield hams, they're the experts.)
All that was trying to be done was preserve meat without refrigeration.
Salt, either dry on as a brine, will, through osmosis, pull the moisture out of the meat. Moisture in meat, especially when not refrigerated, will promote BAD bacteria growth.

So, we're just continuing history cuz it tastes so dam good Not doing anything new or inventive.

The recipe:
2 2# pieces of loin (just happens to fit my "crock", a plain old
Corningware cooking pot 10"x10"x4"hi)
1 qt of water
1 cup Morton's Tender Quick (contains salt (sodium chloride),
sodium nitrate and sodiun nitrite,
essentially the stuff that keeps
the meat PINK)
1 cup brown sugar (any shade of brown. This will officially make
the ham "sugar cured", though the sugar doesn't
really "cure" anything as I understand it)
1 big TBS garlic powder (only because I'm a garlic freak. "powder"
dissolves, granules don't seem to)

Thoroughly dissolve all the stuff in the water. Don't heat it cuz you'll just have to cool it. It's preferred, if you have a sanitizing solution (for homebrewers, such as Star San) to sanitize the crock and mixing wisk, etc. ... not too big a deal if you "smoke-cook" as opposed to "cold-smoke" the ham.

Let the loins sleep in the soup for 48 hrs under as much refrigeration as you have (below 40° is recommended). I turn the babies over every 12 hours. Also, I jam a fork into the loins when I pour the soup on ... to facilitate the saline solution getting into the interior of the meat.

Smoking: I wish I had a smokehouse. I have an el cheapo ($70 from Amazon) Coleman electric smoker/[water]cooker. I used to use native blue oak chunks sitting on the electric burner coil. Now I use native oak chips (not soaked in water) (from my nice old Fitchburg I6 Ford chipper) piled on the element. I don't do cold smoking cuz, honestly, I cant keep the smoker cool enough to assure NO bacterial growth. I smoke-cook the hams for about 12 hours and use a probe thermometer to get them to 155° or more ... usually depends on how far the process jams me into my bedtime on Sundays

Cheers!

 

[Gatorboy]

Whew! Based on the subject title, I thought this might be related to something you do in an outhouse.

 

[HomeBrew2]

I forgot to do a disclaimer on my previous post:

Umm, my intent is to have a "real" ham ... as close as I can do within my limitations. Cured meat, ham, is really jerky done on a hunk of meat ... as oppesed to thin strips. Same preservation theory though.

So, the "marinade" is designed to dry the meat out ... not moisturize it. If done successfully, the meat should be desert-bone dry and salty enough to make you shivrer ... seriously.

Note the label of the next factory ham you buy: "water added". Nobody nowdays wants to eat dry meat and, don't want to pay for water weight. Those folks should not buy ham.

Serving suggestion for my ham recipe:
Slice to your preferred thickness.
Put in a frying pan with at least 1/4" of water.
Warm it up (it's already cooked).
Per osmosis, the salt will crawl out into the water and the water will crawl into the meat. Use your best judgement for serving from thereon.

Preffered serving suggestion:
Slice off a piece. take a small bite. Shiver and enjoy. Shove the rest of slice into your shirt pocket. Get on tractor and go to work. Take additional bites as courage comes

 

[HomeBrew2]

Whew! Based on the subject title, I thought this might be related to something you do in an outhouse.

Sounds like you may have a predisposition that warrents a discussion with a professional or, a move to a specific popular California bay area community ... not that there's anything wrong with that