Fresh Ham Disaster

[Zallan]

First Post! New User!

I just found this forum and I am hoping that someone can help me determine where I went wrong in brining and smoking my Easter Ham that was a disaster. last Christmas I bought a 2o# Fresh Ham from a local butcher that I was not able to cook due to COVID, so I threw it in the freezer until Easter. About 2 weeks ago I slow thawed it in the refrigerator, then a week ago I threw it into a brine of 2 gallons of water, 2 cups of Salt and some brown sugar and cloves. I kept it in the refrigerator until Saturday night. When I pulled it and rinsed it, it had an odor to it and was very slimy. I went ahead and smoked it because I didn't know if it was bad, but then when I sliced it open... (after 11 hours on the smoker, the meat was an ugly grey on the inside, so I ditched it. I am guessing that something went awry in the Freezing/Thawing process.

Any ideas?

[Ryan]

I don't see cure 1 in your brine. That big of chunk should be injected with the brine. A 20 pound ham could be injected with 2 pounds of brine. I pump 10% of the meats weight.

On edit: what were you planning on having a finished product? Did you want ham? Or were you brining for flavor/moisture?

[Richtee]

You had a PORK LEG. NOT a “ham”. Shame they do that. No such thing as a “fresh ham” to me. It’s a pork roast. That thing should have been injected and rubbed with cure a month out...

Ugh...you’re not the first this has happened to...

[Richtee]

Also, there may have been a sanitation issue EG: the slimy texture. The reason it was grey-ish..it was not cured. Hams stay pink because of the curing process.

[Zallan]

Ryan, What is Cure1? do you think that brining this was the correct procedure? What I was actually wanting to do was a smoke my own ham, so I thought if I bought a fresh ham, that I would have been able to do that.

[Zallan]

Richtee, Do you have any links on how I should have prepared this and do you think the freezing and thawing was an issue?

[Ryan]

Ryan, What is Cure1? do you think that brining this was the correct procedure? What I was actually wanting to do was a smoke my own ham, so I thought if I bought a fresh ham, that I would have been able to do that.

Cure 1 is salt and sodium nitrite. It's what makes the meat pink and protects the meat from bacteria while smoking at low temps. It also gives meat a different flavor. For example, you know what a pork chop taste like. I can cure the loin and it's Canadian bacon(which taste like ham).

To smoke a fresh leg(ham) for ham it needs cure. Rich says it'd take a month and he's correct if you dry cure(apply the cure on the outside). However a city cured ham is brined and can be done in about a week (I'm not looking at my records). If you we wanting a cured ham it looks like it was lacking salt. It gets a bit complicated doing it that way and why dry curing is easier.

[crusty ol salt]

Welcome to the world of Curing, Smoking and Charcuterie. Below is a link to our page with a similar title

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70

Take your time and read the first 4 stickies. I would start with the OK state curing guide. It is a nice short read.



Please ask any question(s) that comes to mind. There are years and years of knowledge tucked away here.

[Richtee]

Richtee, Do you have any links on how I should have prepared this and do you think the freezing and thawing was an issue?

I do not think the freeze/thaw was an issue.

Here’s a post on the “country” ham. “City” hams are quicker cured by other methods.

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/sho...27354#poststop

[jwbtulsa]

Welcome to the world of Curing, Smoking and Charcuterie. Below is a link to our page with a similar title

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70

Take your time and read the first 4 stickies. I would start with the OK state curing guide. It is a nice short read.



Please ask any question(s) that comes to mind. There are years and years of knowledge tucked away here.

When i was in college at Oklahoma State, the best way to cure meat was to buy her a bunch of beer.

[nickelmore]

All very good advice, I actually had a ham that was cured by the local processor that was the same way. I knew what I was looking at so I cooked it like a pork roast.

Turned out a little dry for me but i think thats because my daughter in law was 2 hours late to dinner.

Curing is a VERY touchy subject around here as we take food safety very serious and there are a lot of "mis truths" out there and even more "we used to do that when I was a kid" techniques that miss important steps.

Welcome to the island.

[BBQ Engineer]

Curing is a VERY touchy subject around here as we take food safety very serious and there are a lot of "mis truths" out there and even more "we used to do that when I was a kid" techniques that miss important steps.

One of my favorite is "I haven't killed anybody yet". Sheesh!

Welcome Zallan from the Kansas City Area. These guys will keep you and your guests safe. And they are experts in all things BBQ and Smoked Meat. Not to mention that a few of them are pretty darned funny!