# Cured ham with Pop's Brine, with Q-view!



## snorkelinggirl (Sep 4, 2013)

I tried my hand at curing a couple of small sections of fresh pork leg into ham using Pop's Brine recipe.  My husband, both my biggest cooking fan as well as my biggest (most honest?) cooking critic, declared it to be excellent.
 :yahoo:

Curing ham has been a struggle for me....I've had a couple of semi-successes, as well as a couple of outright fails. I think my time in the ham wilderness is finally over, though, thanks both to Pop's Brine recipe as well as realizing that curing ham is way easier if you debone it and use small leg sections.  Thank you again, Pops, for a great recipe!

I started out with a 5 lb fresh pork leg section, and boned it out.  This left me with 2 boneless leg sections totaling about 4 lbs, with each being about 3" thick.  I used 1/2 gallon of water, and followed Pop's recipe but fine-tuned it for 200 ppm of nitrite (max per USDA for immersion cured products) and a 2.4% salt content assuming an equilibrium cure.  This worked out to 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup of salt, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, and 12 grams of Cure #1.  

I cured the leg sections in the brine for 12 days in the refrigerator (I did not inject as the pieces were deboned and only around 2 lbs each), then rinsed them, patted dry, and let rest overnight in the refrigerator to form a pellicle.  I cold smoked using maple dust in the AMNS for 2 1/2 hours (smoker temp stayed between 72 and 82 deg F).  I only cold smoked for 2 1/2 hours because I operate under strict instructions by my husband to keep the smoke taste light.  After smoking, I let the ham cool and then rest in the refrigerator for a couple of days to mellow out.

This afternoon I baked them at 325 deg F in the oven until it reached an IT of 135 deg F, and let them rest before slicing. The IT reached a peak of 145 deg F while resting, so USDA should be happy.  I applied some glaze when the IT reached 115 deg F.  

I didn't take any pictures of the curing or smoking because I didn't think to, but here are some pics of the rest of the process.

Baking in the oven....












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Coming out of the oven....












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All sliced up!  Cure penetrated all the way through...yay!












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Plated dinner shots, with some sliced tomato, steamed romanesco, and a bit of reduced drippings + glaze....












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Dessert!  Couldn't resist throwing this in....homemade peach cobbler and some homemade vanilla ice cream. Yum!












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I am so so happy with the final saltiness level of this ham.  Even the semi-successful hams I've made before have come out too salty, this was by far the best for a pleasant salt level.  The brine didn't go ropy either, which is the other thing I was worried about. Boning out the leg roast makes it easier because you don't have to worry about injecting along the bone or bone sour, and smaller pieces keep the cure time relatively fast, so quicker feedback and less time for the brine to go ropy.

Thank so much for checking out my post!   I hope everybody has a great rest of your week and weekend!

Clarissa


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## smoking b (Sep 4, 2013)

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Looks like another great meal Clarissa  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






   Congrats on the successful cure!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   I have some Veronica growing right now myself that will be ready to eat soon


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 4, 2013)

That Ham looks perfect. I am due to try one, feeling like a Christmas Ham and I too agree with using 1/2C Salt per Gallon. Nice job...JJ


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## webowabo (Sep 4, 2013)

Looks great clarissa.. I too need to step up my game and do a ham...


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## daveomak (Sep 4, 2013)

Great job Clarissa.....   You have finally got there on ham....  You're damn near perfect now......


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

Smoking B said:


> IMG627.jpg
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> ...



I always buy Veronica or Romanesco whenever I can find it.....it is tasty and just so cool to look at.  It is awesome that you are growing it yourself!

Thank you so much for the compliments and checking out my post, Jeremy!  Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> That Ham looks perfect. I am due to try one, feeling like a Christmas Ham and I too agree with using 1/2C Salt per Gallon. Nice job...JJ



Thank you, Chef JJ! 

I tried the 1/2 cup of salt per gallon water with the last batch of bacon I made, and my husband and I looked at each other and said "yep, that's it".  It is such a relief to finally have that dialed in.  Now I can start playing with fun stuff like smoke and flavorings!

Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

webowabo said:


> Looks great clarissa.. I too need to step up my game and do a ham...



I think you'll have a lot of fun with it, Mike.  It is easier with small leg sections, but you could follow Pop's Easter Ham thread and just jump right in to cure a whole ham!   Some day I'll pull up my big girls pants and try that too.  :biggrin:

Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

DaveOmak said:


> Great job Clarissa.....   You have finally got there on ham....  You're damn near perfect now......



Hi Dave!

See?  I listened to _and_ followed all of your advice from my last attempt at ham.  I allowed 7 days per inch thickness for curing, and also allowed a few days for equilibrating.   I can't thank you enough for all of your help and advice, Dave!  

Thanks so much for reading my post, and for the compliments!!  Hope you have a great day!
Clarissa


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## seenred (Sep 5, 2013)

Nice, Clarissa...that ham looks delicious!  Nicely done!

Red


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

SeenRed said:


> Nice, Clarissa...that ham looks delicious!  Nicely done!
> 
> Red



Thank you so much for the compliments, Red!

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my post!   Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## woodcutter (Sep 5, 2013)

Congratulations on your success! Your ham looks perfect. I went through a learning curve with Pop's brine as well. What is really nice is how consistent is is from now on. Glad you didn't give up.


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

Woodcutter said:


> Congratulations on your success! Your ham looks perfect. I went through a learning curve with Pop's brine as well. What is really nice is how consistent is is from now on. Glad you didn't give up.
> 
> :thumb1:



Thank you so much, Todd!   

Failure is always painful, but I learned a lot from it!  Your CB posts were really helpful, by the way. 

I appreciate you checking out my post, and hope you have a great day!
Clarissa


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## smokinhusker (Sep 5, 2013)

That is some awesome looking ham and the rest of the meal is a winner too! Happy to see this one turned out so well for you! Pops brine is definitely a keeper once you have it dialed in to your taste preferences!


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## kathrynn (Sep 5, 2013)

Oooooo....that is really pretty.  Looked like a great plate to eat too.

Lynn loves ham....so yup....I am going to have to try this too.  There would have to be a lot more of it...cuz left over ham goes into my Red Beans and Rice.  

Kat


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## dr k (Sep 5, 2013)

That looks excellent!  I'm happy to hear from you and Chef Jimmy J that 1/2 c. per gallon of salt is sufficient.  My pork loin for CB I cut into thirds just came out of Pop's brine after 14 days to form a pellicle for 2 days.  I followed his recipe but cut the salt to 1/2 c. per gallon.  Is it possible to over cure by letting it set too long in Pop's brine (1 tbp. cure per gallon.)  My cure has no number one and is called Sure Cure Sodium Nitrite 6.25%, 4oz. cure to 100 lbs. meat.


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## daveomak (Sep 5, 2013)

Dr K said:


> That looks excellent!  I'm happy to hear from you and Chef Jimmy J that 1/2 c. per gallon of salt is sufficient.  My pork loin for CB I cut into thirds just came out of Pop's brine after 14 days to form a pellicle for 2 days.  I followed his recipe but cut the salt to 1/2 c. per gallon.  Is it possible to over cure by letting it set too long in Pop's brine (1 tbp. cure per gallon.)  My cure has no number one and is called Sure Cure Sodium Nitrite 6.25%, 4oz. cure to 100 lbs. meat.



Sure Cure is cure #1 because it has no nitrate in it......   You are set to go.....


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## dr k (Sep 5, 2013)

DaveOmak said:


> Sure Cure is cure #1 because it has no nitrate in it...... You are set to go.....


Thanks for the help.


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

SmokinHusker said:


> That is some awesome looking ham and the rest of the meal is a winner too! Happy to see this one turned out so well for you! Pops brine is definitely a keeper once you have it dialed in to your taste preferences!



Hi Alesia,

Thank you so much!  I can't tell you how relieved I am on how this came out.  There has been some major hand wringing going on for the past few weeks!  But of course, now I'm just planning my next curing project!

Take care and have a great day!
Clarissa




KathrynN said:


> Oooooo....that is really pretty.  Looked like a great plate to eat too.
> 
> Lynn loves ham....so yup....I am going to have to try this too.  There would have to be a lot more of it...cuz left over ham goes into my Red Beans and Rice.
> 
> Kat



Hi Kat,

I know what you mean.  I thought I had a ton of ham when I sliced it up last night.  But after dinner, breakfast, setting aside some to take hiking this weekend, and making deviled ham, the ham is already all gone!   I'm going to have to cure 2 leg sections next time!  

Red Beans and Rice.....yummy!  The weather is starting to cool off and that sounds so good!

Have a great day!
Clarissa




Dr K said:


> That looks excellent!  I'm happy to hear from you and Chef Jimmy J that 1/2 c. per gallon of salt is sufficient.  My pork loin for CB I cut into thirds just came out of Pop's brine after 14 days to form a pellicle for 2 days.  I followed his recipe but cut the salt to 1/2 c. per gallon.  Is it possible to over cure by letting it set too long in Pop's brine (1 tbp. cure per gallon.)  My cure has no number one and is called Sure Cure Sodium Nitrite 6.25%, 4oz. cure to 100 lbs. meat.



Hi Dr K,

Thank you very much for the compliments!  I think you will be really pleased with the 1/2 cup of salt with your CB.  DaveOmak already answered your question on cure, so sounds like you are in great shape for smoking your CB.  Be sure to post some Q-view!  

Clarissa


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## ed sykes (Sep 5, 2013)

Hey, try a deer ham, I have been curing and smoking them with persimmon wood for years. wonderful outcome............


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## daveomak (Sep 5, 2013)

Ed Sykes said:


> Hey, try a deer ham, I have been curing and smoking them with persimmon wood for years. wonderful outcome............



Ed, morning and welcome to the forum.....

Please take a moment and stop into " /Roll Call/  " and introduce yourself and get a proper welcome from our members.... Also, if you would note your location in your profile, it will help in the future when answering questions about smokin'...   elevation, humidity etc....    
We're glad you stopped in and joined our group...    Enjoy the long smokey ride....     Dave


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

A little addition to the post here. 

I grew up eating that Underwood brand of deviled ham and the chicken spread (my favorite).  So now as an adult I get major cravings for potted meat-style spreads, and I never pass up a chance to make deviled ham whenever I have some ham available.

You southern ladies all probably have well-guarded family recipes for deviled ham that would put mine to shame.  I'm currently using one adapted from Bruce Aidells' Great Meat Cookbook.

2 1/2 cups chopped ham, pulsed in the food processor
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped sweet or dill pickles (I use pickle relish)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dijon mustard, or more to taste
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste













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Delicous stuff!  Couldn't resist adding this to my post.

Thanks everyone for looking!
Clarissa


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## themule69 (Sep 5, 2013)

Clarissa

That looks GREAT! Thanks for sharing. I like the idea of curing a small ham. Instead of one large bone-in ham.

Happy smoken.

David


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

Ed Sykes said:


> Hey, try a deer ham, I have been curing and smoking them with persimmon wood for years. wonderful outcome............



Hi Ed,

Welcome to SMF and thanks for checking out my post!  I'd love to try deer ham sometime...hopefully my husband will get a deer this year and I'll have an opportunity!  I'm sure everyone would love to see you post on this next time you make one.

Looking forward to seeing you around the forum!
Clarissa


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## mneeley490 (Sep 5, 2013)

Looks really great, Clarissa!

I have a whole, boneless leg sitting in my freezer. I'd planned on trying to smoke it whole this fall (never done a ham before), but after reading your thread, I think I may cut it up, also.


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

themule69 said:


> Clarissa
> That looks GREAT! Thanks for sharing. I like the idea of curing a small ham. Instead of one large bone-in ham.
> Happy smoken.
> David



Hey David!  Thanks very much for the compliments, and for checking out my post!

Have a great day!
Clarissa


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

mneeley490 said:


> Looks really great, Clarissa!
> I have a whole, boneless leg sitting in my freezer. I'd planned on trying to smoke it whole this fall (never done a ham before), but after reading your thread, I think I may cut it up, also.



Hi Mike,

Thanks so much!   Since your leg is already boneless, I don't think there is a big downside to cutting it into smaller pieces (say 4-5 lbs each) for curing.  It would give you a chance to try some different flavorings and smoke, which would be fun.  Maybe peach ham!  (thinking about your old peach bacon post :biggrin:)  And in a worst case scenario....less meat to throw out! 

I was afraid that by having such small pieces they would come out too salty, or dry out too much in the oven when baking.  But by using the 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water, even the smaller piece was good on salt and neither dried out in the oven because I pulled them from the oven at 135 deg IT and let them rest to hit 145 deg IT.

I think you are going to have a great time doing ham this fall.  Looking forward to seeing your post on it!

Thanks for checking out my post, and have a great day!
Clarissa


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 5, 2013)

Somehow I missed this earlier! Looks great Clarissa! I hope my picnic that I have been curing turns out just as good. It goes into the smoker Saturday!!!!


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## snorkelinggirl (Sep 5, 2013)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Somehow I missed this earlier! Looks great Clarissa! I hope my picnic that I have been curing turns out just as good. It goes into the smoker Saturday!!!!



Hey Case!

Thank you!!  Hopefully these thunderstorms will have cleared out for you by Saturday.  NWS is saying golf ball-sized hail and 60 mph winds near Bend this afternoon....hope you and yours are all well!  We are having some big thunderstorms this afternoon too....haven't lost power yet, but me and my cat are both under the bed as I am typing this! :biggrin:

I'm looking forward to seeing your picnic results this weekend!  
Clarissa


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## dave17a (Oct 17, 2013)

Got some Pops brine going on now on pork butt. First time. Even though haven't tried am going to do do another for thanksgiving. Added 4 oz. honey and tbls ground clove. Cut back 1/4 cup on sugar. We'll see.


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## dr k (Oct 18, 2013)

Your husband and I are on the same page about preferring a lighter smoke flavor (for ham anyway.)


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## dan - firecraft (Oct 18, 2013)

Looks awesome!


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## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 28, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> I tried my hand at curing a couple of small sections of fresh pork leg into ham using Pop's Brine recipe. My husband, both my biggest cooking fan as well as my biggest (most honest?) cooking critic, declared it to be excellent.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Okay, I don't know how this post blew right on by me, but it did!!!!!!!!!! Looks Fantastic Clarissa!!!!!!! I Just had lunch, but I could eat that plate and the desert too!!!


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