The Ham, Before Curing and Drying
Some of you who know me personally may know that my love of prosciutto is the real reason I got into curing meats in the first place. My lofty goal is to personally cure my own prosciutti at home. My first attempt was a FAILURE, but I’ve since read up on the process, and I’m making the second attempt with more cured meat experience in general, and hopefully from a better informed position.
Here is my Red Wattle Ham, with the aitch bone removed, as I am salting it down in a large hotel pan. The ham will be under salt for about two weeks, with a weight on it. This is a twelve pound ham, and my recipe calls for a day per pound in the salt and under weight. I am planning to check this in a few days, and pour off any water that’s come out. I expect I will re-salt the ham after the first week.
Under the Salt, before the Weight is Added
Here’s the ham in its Snow White costume, before I put a second hotel pan on top and added five bricks covered with foil.
Weighty Stuff, this Meat Curing
And here is the ham, in the fridge, with some weight on top. Stay tuned. In approximately 12 days, I should have an update.
