# Excellent Cure for Cook Smoked Ham or Venison ham



## VApigLover (Oct 6, 2004)

All,
Really enjoy this site, no pigs in the lot now, but I did have a recipe I modified that made the best hams I've done (the primary reason I have no pigs now). Thought I would share this one, it is really good when making a Venison hindquarter ham as well. Some may disagree on the Nitrites used, but I am sure this can change. This recipe does twentyfive pounds of meat and is intended as a cured cooked smoke method (not dry) or cool. I also recommend deboning the meat, but not nesessary. I use a ten gallon crock but any food grade container that holds the cure over the meat will work

25 pounds fresh pork ham or Venison ham
5 Gallon's Ice Water
2/3 cups Instacure #1
1 Cup White Pepper
1 pound Brown Sugar
2 Cups Black Molassis
1 cup salt (canning or Kosher)

Mix all of this together (I had to bring to a boil to attempt to blend it all)
Cool brine to 40 degrees, inject hams to weight plus 10% of original weight with a meat injector (like a Turky injector). Place meat in crock, maintain 38-40 degrees for seven days (at least that is how long I did).

Remove meat and place in tight stocking (especially the boneless), place in smoke house pre heated to 120 degree, vents fully open for 12 hours. Raise temp to 140, half vents, smoke with Hickory (cherry was good too) or your favorite wood, smoke for eight hours or internal temp reaches 120 degrees. Raise temperature to 165/170 degrees and cook intil internal temp reaches 145 degrees for pre-cooked (may want to check that) or 165 degrees for fully cooked (or desired doneness, different meats vary so check). I placed a large pan of water and steamed the meat (especially the venison) until it finished. The whole cooking process took me about 36 hours, so take an afternoon off Friday to get it done over the weekend. I've done the suger cures and Honey cure packages, but this blew it away. The venison was totally amazing, you've got to try it at least once, you won't be sorry you did! 

VaPiglover


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## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

Thank you for posting the recipe as I just got an invite to go hog hunting this spring, I look forward to the hunt But now I think I want to cure the hams myself. Just one question will this work for bacon also.???


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## VApigLover (Oct 6, 2004)

Cures with lots of sugar generally tend to make the bacon easy to burn while cooking, even my Honey cured bacon tend to burn easy, must cook slow. The cure will work for bacon, no need to inject just soak. Hope this helps!


Its that time of year, I have to go find some more pigs for this fall. The fellow I normally get them from lost his spring litters, around here pigs seem hard to find these days


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

VaPigLover, if you find any extras please let me know! We are across the river in Maryland and no one has pigs here either. I'll do the same if I find any and you want to drive north for them.


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## RedneckWoman (Jun 10, 2004)

Thanks for posting the recipe. I am always looking for new cures to experiment with. I already have all my butchering done and hams cured and smoked but did get an offer from a guy the other day that if I would show him how/ help butcher his porker he would give me part of it so I will try this cure out on it. 

Yall don't feel bad it is hard to find pigs around here too. I sell feeders as fast as my sows can make them and if not careful I wouldn't have any left for me lol.


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## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

Can you tell me what the substitute of honey for sugar would be???as theres an anabundance of honey at this house.


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## VApigLover (Oct 6, 2004)

I'd say add one to two & half cups....Or add until you have a twangy sweet mixture... I don't think you can go too wrong with this, I like it where it is sweet with a bite, but not too sweet. Best answer I can give. I also recommend injecting heavily, maybe for the first two days to ensure you have the mixture in the meat good, not only adds flavor but ensures a good cure.

To me this is a an area where you can modify ingrediants and as long as you cover the salt & cure the rest can be add hock, you might stumble on something good.

Anyone who owns the book "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" by Rytek Kutas... Can tell that is where I got the base recipe, slightly modified. This is a great book, although the recipe's are a starting point (mild/average) it gets you in the ball park on some really good stuff. The homemade cures beat the heck out of the premade store purchased stuff, at least I think that way.

VaPiglover


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## vtfarma (May 6, 2003)

Rytek's book is where we start for all our cures etc. We use maple syrup as part of our sweetner for the bacon and ham. We haven't had too much trouble with it burning since we cut back a bit on the sweets in the mix. If I forget its in the pan and cook it on high - well....

DH and I took a class through our state and the culinary institute on smoking, curing and marketing your own meats - sausage making etc. I could go to classes like these endlessly.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Just a note on bacon. You don't really need the water for bacon, just make a dry rub and coat all the surfaces, it's ok to stack them one on top of another.


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