Just in Time for Easter Dan ’ s Wet Cure Ham Ingredients
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1 uncured ham
1 cup cane sugar per gallon of water 1 cup kosher salt per gallon of water
• 2 teaspoons Prague powder per pound of meat
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Herbs and spices you like, for example:
5 tablespoons cinnamon
5 tablespoons crushed black pepper
The longer you brine your ham, the longer the hamwill last in the fridge or freezer. I brine mine 2–3 weeks, if not a little longer, depending on the size of the ham. Then I let it sit in the fridge for a week before cutting into it and smoking it.
2 tablespoons cloves 3 tablespoons garlic
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Large stock pot or container
SMOKING
Note: Pickling spice also adds a great flavor, and you can get it in the canning section at your supermarket.
Before you smoke your ham, fry up a small piece to check how salty it is. If it’s too salty, you can submerge the ham in boiling water for 4 minutes. This will help pull out excess salt. You can also add about 1/4 cup of water to a frying pan, then add the ham to draw out some of the excess salt. When you’re happy with the salt content, it’s time to smoke! I use hickory or maple wood on my ham. Smoke time is 15–20 minutes per pound at 225 F. You want to reach an internal temp of 190 F, but no more. Once your ham reaches an internal temp of 160 F, remove from smoker and wrap in foil. Then, return to smoker until the internal temp reaches 190 F.
Directions :
BRINING
Rinse and pat dry your ham.
Then, weigh your ham if you don’t already know the weight — this is an important step so you know exactly how much Prague powder to use. In a stock pot, add all of your dry ingredients to water and bring to boil. Make sure sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Let brine cool. Place ham in nonreactive container, making sure it’s weighed down. Every inch of the hammust be submerged. This is very important to prevent spoilage! Place container and ham in a fridge or cooler. You can also set the container outside if daytime temps are hovering around 36–37 degrees F. (If it gets any warmer, move the container back to a fridge or cooler.)
During smoking, have a spritz bottle at the ready. I use an apple juice spritz. Spritz every hour.
This is a pretty straightforward way to wet cure a ham. It’s a great alternative to a dry cure, which can take 6 months from start to finish.
After the smoke, it’s ready to eat. Enjoy!
3 grillingandsmokingassociation.org
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