Wild hog smoked hams, loins, etc
Ingredients:
Ham or Bacon Brine
Volume of water 1 qt 1 gal 2 gal 5gal
Meat, wt 5 pd 20 pd 40 pd 100 pd
Salt 6.5 oz 26 oz 3.2 lb 8 lb
Sugar 1.6 oz 6.5 oz 13 oz 2 lb
Prague#1 Cure 1 oz 4 oz 8 oz 1.25 cup
Note: Brown sugar may be used, or maple syrup, for variation.
Preparation:
Mix the pickling ingredients. In theory thicker joints, such as ham, should have a stronger brine - make the brine up in 90% of the quantity of water. Thinner joints, such as bacon, shoulder, and loins (backstrap) should have the mixture in 120% of the water. Ideally, curing should be done at or about 38 degrees F. Put the meat into the brine, making sure that there are no air pockets, put a scrubbed board on top and a big stone on top of that
to weight the meat down - Don't use an iron weight- and leave in the brine for 4 days per pound of each big joint. Thus each joint should be weighed before being put in, and each removed at its appointed date. Bacon and small joints should only be left in for two days per pound. After 4 or 5 days, turn the joints round in the brine, and after every so often. If, in hot weather, the brine becomes ropey (viscous when you put your hand in), remove meat, scrub in clean water and put it into fresh brine. AN ALTERNATIVE: PUT MEAT AND BRINE IN A ZIP LOCK BAG AND KEEP IN FRIDGE. When the meat is taken out of the brine, wash it in fresh water, hang it up for a week in a cool dry place to dry, then, if you want, smoke it. Hams should be cold smoked, i.e. kept under 100 F during several hours, or days, of smoking. Age for several weeks. The ham will be very salty, so before cooking, soak the ham for several hours, changing water two or three times. Cover with fresh water and simmer until internal temperature reaches at least 140 degrees F.
Smaller joints and loins should be cured in the weaker brine and hot smoked, i.e. cooked with smoke at 200 to 240 degrees F until internal temperature reaches at least 140 degrees.
Wild hog hams are leaner and tougher than domestic hams, but make terrific seasoning for beans, soups, etc. The hot-smoked loins and shoulders are delicious as is. (TIP: If the loin or shoulder comes out too salty for your taste, it can be soaked in fresh water to reduce saltiness, even after cooking.)
Submitted by sjoe