# Deer Ham........ Brine or Dry?



## white cloud (Sep 21, 2008)

Well my neighbor shot a doe yesterday. There is a 5 day doe only hunt goin on here. Well he gave me a hind leg which weighs 9 1/2 pounds and I am guess the bone to be maybe 2 1/2 pounds. I have seen deer ham kits but I have what I need to cure it. In Ryteks book he recommends a brine and pump for home cureing. I was planning on measureing out 7 TBLS. TQ and maybe 5-7 TBLS of brown sugar, dissolve a portion of this with the proper amount of water and inject. Then add the rest dry, wrap and keep in the fridge a week. Has anyone made a deer ham, not just a smoked leg not using a kit and did you brine or dry cure. I went to search but there are so many posts and maybe I overlooked it. Thanks Gang


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## richtee (Sep 21, 2008)

Both pump and dry. Not "brine" but "Wet cure" pump. Pump along all bones, and deep muscle, then dry on the outside, calculating total nitrate for the weight of meat.


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## white cloud (Sep 21, 2008)

OK followed my own advice. 7 Tbls. TQ, 7 Tlbs. Brown Sugar. Placed 4 Tbls. of this mix into 1 cup of water and injected and added the dry to the outside of the meat and wrapped.


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## richtee (Sep 21, 2008)

Bingo  :{)  Well done! You were looking for a sweeter type ham I assume. Should be good. Now  did you add all the dry at once? Typically you would break it down into 2-3 apps a week apart, depending on size..but at 7 lbs...yer prolly fine.


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## white cloud (Sep 21, 2008)

All at once, it did seem abit much but I was hopeing to smoke this next sunday. I don't know yet we will see.


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## pops6927 (Sep 21, 2008)

I'd let it go for at least 14 days to get good penetration, 21 wouldn't hurt as long as it's refrigerated and wrapped well to keep the oxygen from it.You can just unwrap, rerub what's on there, maybe a bit more salt, then rewrap right back up.


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## richtee (Sep 21, 2008)

Pops is of my mind as well. Will not be ready in a week... an inch per 7 days as a rule of thumb, but of course the injection will help that out. BUT- if you have the correct amount of cure, and it sounds like you do..it won't OVERcure.  Patience, my son  ;{)


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## white cloud (Sep 22, 2008)

OK, twist my arm I will try to shoot for two weeks. I know a week seemed short But I dont know what the weather will be like in two weeks and its not a huge piece of meat. Maybe 4 inches at the thickest point with a bone . And I am not real happy with the wrapping, it seems to be leaking between the layers of wrap.


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## justsmoke2 (Sep 22, 2008)

If I get a chance my friend does venison hams and I'll see what I can get outta him.  You will have to excuse me I spent the weekend crying every time I heard a shot.  Haven't had a pic in my deer cam for 3 days.  I put in 3 small rye patches was looking good.  Went and sat in blind tonight to see whats up and counted 5 different pumpkins sittin on the fence row over seeing my food plots.  Sorry I got off the subject.


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## richtee (Sep 22, 2008)

You will have some moisture collect. The salt/cure will draw some from the meat. It's OK as long as no air is getting in.... and leaking coming out.


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