# Old Timey Curing



## wyatt (Sep 24, 2013)

Hello all,

Like a lot of us, I remember my PaPa curing meat and then smoking it. I remember him rubbing Morton's dry cure on it; and my mother told me this, since I don't remember this part, he would place the pork in a wood tub packing salt around it all heavily, maybe 2-3 inches. In would go the hams, shoulders, bacon... several weeks later, (this was during killing weather) and salt added as needed, as the moisture was drawn out and drained through the, I assume on purpose, cracks in the seams of the wood tub, the meat would be pulled out and smoked. My mother recalls this being done with 20-30 hogs lasting several days. He would hire some local men to help with the killing, gutting, scalding etc. He had a rock smoke house, and in later years, the ones I remember, he only used a large steel wall locker. (He owned a mountain area general store, the one where he would trace kids feet and pick up shoes for the local families when he went to Fort Smith, Ark. and trade for things that he knew the poorer families couldn't afford) He used a small, maybe 2 gallon, stock pot filled with hickory saw dust in the wall locker. My mother recounts of having to keep a small smoldering fire in the large rock smoke house going and absolutely not allowing it to flame. I think a spanking or 3 kept her mind on track on her duty. 

Anyway, I share this because with cooler weather coming, I want to cure some hams and bacon in this style. Yes, i am going to kill a couple hogs. Who has done it, successfully? What was your method if you wouldn't mind sharing. If I missed a post outlining this style of curing, let me know, and my humble apologies...


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## smoking b (Sep 24, 2013)

Here's a good thread with a lot of info for you to check out  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/134415/country-cured-ham-from-go-to-show-q-view-updated-6-10-13

I do it a little differently than Tom but here is a ham I just cut today  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			


















PICT0542.JPG



__ smoking b
__ Sep 24, 2013


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## wyatt (Sep 24, 2013)

As I have been sitting here reading, I get the feeling what my PaPa may have been doing it really close to what Cycletrash and Dave54 were doing with their prosciutto minus the wine rinse. The hams hung all winter and through the summer in the store wrapped in cotton cloth.


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## pigbark (Sep 26, 2013)

here ya go, I found this as I was looking for more info on how my grandpa may have did it as well.. this is a show I watch pretty often and the host is really a awesome outdoorsman..its Salt cured and cold smoked, you will probably need some help ...

Video embedded in the following post.


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## daveomak (Sep 26, 2013)

Old time curing in an embeded link........


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## diggingdogfarm (Sep 26, 2013)

There are several ways to do it.
If he used Morton's and you want to replicate that, get their book.
Short of that, this guy's videos aren't bad (he uses Morton's).

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

h[VIDEO]ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbiaL62A-OA[/VIDEO]

~Martin


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## wyatt (Sep 28, 2013)

Really appreciate the help guys...


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## bama bbq (Sep 28, 2013)

DaveOmak said:


> Old time curing in an embeded link........



Every time I see that I can't get over the left hand hand shake.


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## daveomak (Sep 28, 2013)

Bama BBQ said:


> DaveOmak said:
> 
> 
> > Old time curing in an embeded link........


Bama, morning..... I have been looking at a few more of the videos and Tim Farmer, the host of the program, appears to have a prosthetic right arm.....  It's not real obvious.....  he appears to hide it all the time....     First time I saw the video, I thought the left handed hand shake was weird also....  

My father in law, may he rest in peace, used to shake left handed at times also.... I thought that weird....   I thought maybe it was a southern "old timer" thing.... 

Dave


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## bama bbq (Sep 28, 2013)

DaveOmak said:


> Bama, morning..... I have been looking at a few more of the videos and Tim Farmer, the host of the program, appears to have a prosthetic right arm.....  It's not real obvious.....  he appears to hide it all the time....     First time I saw the video, I thought the left handed hand shake was weird also....
> My father in law, may he rest in peace, used to shake left handed at times also.... I thought that weird....   I thought maybe it was a southern "old timer" thing....
> 
> Dave



Ah IC. That explains it.


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## pigbark (Sep 28, 2013)

Tim has done a lot for Ky. bringing us a lot of shows like the short video you see above.. when he got out of the Marines he was riding his motorcycle and hit some loose gravel and ended up over a guard rail and down a revine, he took some serious trama to his right arm but still has use of his upper shoulder.. Guys this man is a serious hunter fisherman and he uses his teeth to pull his compound bow for Deer and bowfishing, the loss of his hand didn't stop him from what he loves it just motivated him to figure out new ways to learn how to do it.. he helps people with similar disibilities in small classes, my hats off to the man...

look up some more of his vids on you tube at Ky affield he  has the bow hunting fishing down, unreal...


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## daveomak (Sep 28, 2013)

JD, Morning....  Thanks for the info about Tim Farmer........  Dave


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