Black Forest Loin Ham (Dry Cured)

  • 2-3 lb chunk of boneless pork loin (can sub beef, venison, mutton or other for "dried beef" style, as long as it is the loin so the size and thickness are right for this recipe)
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup sugar or maple sugar
  • 1 tbsp Morton tenderquick
  • 1 tbsp ground juniper berries
  • 1 tbsp crushed rosemary
  • 1 tsp ground marjoram
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp ground coriander or few shakes of nutmeg

Mix the salt, sugar and seasonings together.

Rub with mixture, make sure surface is heavily salted (as much as will stick to it), and get the salt into any cuts or pockets - actually all I do is sprinkle it on using a spoon.

Put into a zip bag.

Refridgerate for 5 days, flipping once a day, draining and resalting as needed (if you can no longer see a good coating of salt crystals on the surface, then re-salt - I resalted about every other day).

Scrape off salt (you can leave some herb bits on the surface, just no salt clumps), and refridgerate overnight OUT of the bag (I did it with a rack on a cookie sheet, and the hams set on the rack), and then either cold smoke, or apply liquid smoke wash and then let dry overnight again in fridge (omit this if you cold smoke it). (You may also use smoked salt in the initial curing process, at a rate of 1/4 cup of smoked salt per cup of regular salt.)

(Cold smoke if you have a smoker. Traditionally smoked with pine wood.)

Apply melted fat casing (brush on melted lard, or coconut oil). Let harden. Wrap in fabric to keep bugs off then hang. (Some people don't bother wrapping it, it depends on the risks in your home and region. I wrap in old t-shirt fabric, and then hang in a net bag which I crocheted out of white bedspread weight cotton, but pillowcases are also popular.)

Hang for 2 weeks (big hams hang far longer, this is a thin loin ham, so it is fast).

(Cure times lengthen with larger hams, and smoke and hang times are also longer.)

Notice

The information on this site is presented for informational purposes only, and consists of the opinions and experiences of the site authors. It is not to be construed as medical advice or to be used to diagnose or treat any illness. Seek the assistance of a medical professional in implementing any nutritional changes with the goal of treating any medical condition. The historical and nutritional information presented here can be verified by a simple web search.

I do what I do because I understand the science behind it, and I've researched worldwide sources to verify the safety of my practices to my own satisfaction. Please do your own research, and proceed AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

 


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