Tasso Ham

[pantherfan83]

First you take the pork butt and after removing the bone, slice it into steaks about 1 1/4 inch thick. Then you dry cure it for 4 hours. When done, a lot of the moisture is removed from the pork and it becomes much firmer (1st pic). Then you rinse off the cure and pat it dry with paper towels (2nd pic). Next you dredge in the tasso seasoning (3rd pic). I then put them on elevated racks and let them sit for an hour with a fan blowing on them (4th pic). I put them in my MES for @ 135 F. with royal oak and hickory chunks. After 2.5 hours, I raised the temp to 200 and cooked until they reached 150 F. I used 2 approx 10 lb butts. The 5th pic is the finished product. More pics in the next post.

 

[pantherfan83]

Here are a couple of close up shots of the finished product. The tasso is really spicy, but underneath that is a really good cured ham and smoke flavor. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

 

[ohm]

mmmmm wow that looks great. I have had real Tasso as a kid and recently deliver from Louisiana. Thank you for the qviews and info.


I am sure it turned out great.

 

[richtee]

Can you define this process? Cure was?

 

[bassman]

That's some good looking ham. Good job!

 

[guvna]

here comes the cure police!

 

[pantherfan83]

Sure, I followed the recipe and technique for the cure from the Charcuterie book. Ruhlman called it the "salt box method". I weighed up Kosher salt, pink salt (DC #1), and sugar. I don't have the proportions with me at work right now, but I can post them tonight if you'd like. Then I dredged the pork in the cure, covering all sides and put them in a plastic lug/container. When finished, I dumped all the leftover cure op top, then shook the container to distribute it as evenly as possible. Next, I put the container in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

 

[pantherfan83]

Thanks Ohm & Bassman

 

[pantherfan83]

I can't wait to make some Jambalaya with the Tasso and Andouille (link to my post about the Andouille is here:) http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=23126.

 

[richtee]

Huh...I have never made this type of ham...interesting. I prolly must have had it in some of the Cajun I have eaten but can't recall. How much of a cure did you get, penetration-wise in only 4 hours tho? Is this style not supposed to be a full cure for flavor reasons? It's used alot in gumbos, right?

 

[chef_boy812]

Great looking Tasso

Did you use the recipe in the charcuterie book? any mods to the recipe?
It deffinately looks like the packages of Paul perdan stuff we used to use in the resturants.

Thanks

 

[pantherfan83]

I would think it would need to be longer too, but it's pink all the way through so it looks like 4 hrs did the job.. Maybe because it's not real thick.

Yes, it's used in gumbo and jambalaya. It's a seasoning meat, so you can use it like you would use smoked ham, smoked ham hock/shank in beans (white, red, or black), soups, stews, or casseroles. I gave some to a friend the last time I made some and he made up a big pot of black-eyed peas and cooked them with the tasso. He said it was delicious.

 

[pantherfan83]

Yes, from the Charcuterie book. The only modifications I made wer the drying step and started the smoking at a lower temp so It would have a longer time under smoke.

 

[dangerdan]

Tasso prepared the old way is pretty high on my todo list. I had an old cajun friend (he's long gone now) down south who used make up a bunch every fall. I used to help him butcher out his hogs and I'd always get his bacon, tasso and andoullie. Tasso was always made from the scraps. He used to cure his for almost a week. It was harder almost like jerky and pink like yours came out, salty and spicy hot. I'm rally looking forward to making up a batch of tasso and cajun bacon soon.