Home Made Cured Ham

[Fishenough]

Anybody been able to locate a curing product used for home made cured hams? Has anybody found it in Chiang Mai?

I grew up with the folks using Saltpeter to make our smoked hams (and going through great lengths to hide it from me, kabang). Sodium Nitrite is more commonly used and available under several brand names in NA. Just enjoyed another pork tenderloin for lunch today. The market price (`30B a lbs) good and the taste is great (roasted today with cloves, basil, gralic and pineapple). Wanna make my own ham!!

Cheers,

One full Dude

[AnnyLing]

A principal concern about sodium nitrite is the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in meats containing sodium nitrite when exposed to high temperatures. Such carcinogenic nitrosamines can be formed from the reaction of nitrite with secondary amines under acidic conditions (such as occurs in the human stomach) as well as during the curing process used to preserve meats. Dietary sources of nitrosamines include US cured meats preserved with sodium nitrite as well as the dried salted fish eaten in Japan. In the 1920s, a significant change in US meat curing practices resulted in a 69% decrease in average nitrite content. This event preceded the beginning of a dramatic decline in gastric cancer mortality.[14] Sodium nitrite's usage is carefully regulated in the production of cured products in the United States, as the concentration in finished products is limited to 200 ppm, and is usually lower[citation needed]. About 1970, it was found that ascorbic acid (vitamin C), an antioxidant, inhibits nitrosamine formation.[15] Consequently, the addition of at least 550 ppm of ascorbic acid is required in meats manufactured in the United States. Manufacturers sometimes instead use erythorbic acid, a cheaper but equally effective isomer of ascorbic acid. Additionally, manufacturers may include alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) to further inhibit nitrosamine production. Alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and erythorbic acid all inhibit nitrosamine production by their oxidation-reduction properties. Ascorbic acid, for example, forms dehydroascorbic acid when oxidized, which when in the presence of nitrous anhydride, a potent nitrosating agent formed from sodium nitrate, reduces the nitrous anhydride into the nitric oxide gas.[16] Note that Nitrous Anhydride does not exist[17] in vitro.

Sodium nitrite consumption has also been linked to the triggering of migraines in individuals who already suffer from them.[18]

A recent study has found a link between frequent ingestion of cured meats and the COPD form of lung disease. The study's researchers suggest that the high amount of nitrites in the meats was responsible; however, the team did not prove the nitrite theory. Additionally, the study does not prove that nitrites or cured meat caused higher rates of COPD, merely a link. The researchers did adjust for many of COPD's risk factors, but they commented they cannot rule out all possible unmeasurable causes or risks for COPD.

[butterisbetter]

I did see Prague Powder #1 in a chemical & laboratory supItply house in Chiang Mai. That's what is commonly used for wet curing hams. It consists of 6.75% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt (sodium chloride). It's safer to use than sodium nitrite alone because this chemical can literally stop someone's heart when eaten in even quite small doses. Prague Powder #1 is also called Instacure #1 or pink curing salt. It's dyed pink so users won't confuse it with the various other white powders commonly found in kitchens.

[Fishenough]

I did see Prague Powder #1 in a chemical & laboratory supItply house in Chiang Mai. That's what is commonly used for wet curing hams. It consists of 6.75% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt (sodium chloride). It's safer to use than sodium nitrite alone because this chemical can literally stop someone's heart when eaten in even quite small doses. Prague Powder #1 is also called Instacure #1 or pink curing salt. It's dyed pink so users won't confuse it with the various other white powders commonly found in kitchens.

Thank you.

Knew that I can obtain pure fireworks grade sodium nitrate and use it in the curing process; well practicing caution. That's just one of the reasons to never bother with injecting a ham with a syringe, you never know what may be introduced into a non-permeable parts of the meat. Likely a supply house will provide me with a large amount, and with the small amounts needed along with infrequent use. I will likely be able to stock someone else with pink salt. Plus with the added bonus of no temptation to make one of the super smoke bombs I was known for.

Frequent ingestion of cured meat!! I think it's been 2 years since I've had a nice ham, and I can't stand the processed versions; give me a mercury laden tuna sandwich instead.

[snowgard]

Do you try Nitrite Brine Salt? In Bangkok and Pattaya you can buy it at Royal Exquisite Food Ltd. Part. 1kg/130 Baht

Phone Bangkok (02) 664 0021 / Pattaya (038) 425 096

[bbudd]

Could you please give so directions to the "chemical supply" place in Chiang Mai. I also need a local supplier for prague powder

I did see Prague Powder #1 in a chemical & laboratory supItply house in Chiang Mai. That's what is commonly used for wet curing hams. It consists of 6.75% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt (sodium chloride). It's safer to use than sodium nitrite alone because this chemical can literally stop someone's heart when eaten in even quite small doses. Prague Powder #1 is also called Instacure #1 or pink curing salt. It's dyed pink so users won't confuse it with the various other white powders commonly found in kitchens.

[butterisbetter]

Do you try Nitrite Brine Salt? In Bangkok and Pattaya you can buy it at Royal Exquisite Food Ltd. Part. 1kg/130 Baht

Phone Bangkok (02) 664 0021 / Pattaya (038) 425 096

Actually, that sounds like the same thing as Prague Powder #1 which is 6.75 % sodium nitrite and 93.25% salt. Of course, if pink food coloring is added, the percentages change very slightly.

[sunholidaysun1]

can you explain the difference please between cured and non cured? I thought all of todays pig meat was cured ? What does curing do ? Is boiled ham different ? Im thinking cured ham is like Italian Prosscutio ? Sorry for my ignorance but I would like to know , thanks.

[ozzieovaseas]

can you explain the difference please between cured and non cured? I thought all of todays pig meat was cured ? What does curing do ? Is boiled ham different ? Im thinking cured ham is like Italian Prosscutio ? Sorry for my ignorance but I would like to know , thanks.

Curing IS the actual process that allows fresh pork meat to be processed INTO ham products. This, of course, was used as a preserving agent in the days before refridgeration was modernised.

Any ham product you can get will be "cured" to some degree, as the curing process basically means injecting a salt solution into the meat. Bacon is made in the same was, as is all continental meat products. Any processed ham product that tastes salty can be considered "cured".

To make a leg of pork into a ham, a butcher has to first fully inject the ham by what is akin to a large needle type syringe with many holes, powered by a small compressor. The compressor hose draws from a bucket of salt solution as prepared with the chemicals mentioned earlier, combined with salt and possibly other ingredients.

Every inch of the meat MUST be saturated with the curing solution, otherwise parts of the ham will spoil and possibly cause the whole ham to spoil..hence the "needling" process must be done roughly 3 inch squared intervals on the whole leg.

A superb "old knowledge" method was once used for this, whereby you could locate a certain vein near the inside of the leg and use this vein to distibute the sloution throughout the whole leg, as if blood was being pumped.

If the right vein was selected (and not previously severed) its quite possible to pump the fluid through the vain system of the leg, using a very narrow needle. This is very efficient, as in about 12-15 seconds of constant pumping the solution is distributed perfectly throughout the leg and ready to go. Having experience of this method myself however, there are certain areas of the leg that do need to be pumped by hand, (where the vein distibution method doesnt tend to reach)

The leg is then soaked in another salt/water/cure solution until which time the ham is going to be cooked. When ready, the ham is put into a net and hung up to "dry" a little.

It is then cooked for many hours at a low temperature in a smoke oven. At some part of the cooking stage, smoke chips, woodchips, or even certain special sawdust is placed in a box at the base of the oven. This is what provides the smokey taste. Today the method might be done artificially with a liquid smoke in the ham, but this will never be as good IMO.

Bacon is done in a similiar way, and if the smoke oven is large enough one can even cook multiple products at the same time, by adding cured chickens, smallgoods or even fresh roasts towards the final hour(s) of the cooking time of the hams.

Whew, well thats my once a year, semi-useful,half cohensive, trivia based post DONE

Now, back to sinsod and thai girlfriends

BTW...I was just interested to know what method the OP was going to use to make his own ham???

I guess if it was a small portion of ham it would be possible to soak it in a solution? Im not sure just caking salt preservatives around the outside would do the job effectively, but i wouldnt know as never tried this.....

[gougouluxembourg]

I think here in Thailand, at Home, due to the Temperatures over here, you can only produce Ham in warm smoke, a kind of cooked Ham, cant keep it very long.

The Temperatures for a cured Ham (air dried, Parma Style or cold smoked) need to be about 4-5C for around 3-4 weeks in Salpeter, Salt and Sugar., if you like to smoke it, smoke Temperatures need to be just over 20 C.

[ozzieovaseas]

I think here in Thailand, at Home, due to the Temperatures over here, you can only produce Ham in warm smoke, a kind of cooked Ham, cant keep it very long.

The Temperatures for a cured Ham (air dried, Parma Style or cold smoked) need to be about 4-5C for around 3-4 weeks in Salpeter, Salt and Sugar., if you like to smoke it, smoke Temperatures need to be just over 20 C.

Interesting, are you talking about simply "hanging" the salted meat (under refridgeration) at 4-5C, before the cooking process? OR would you be soaking the meat in a salted solution?

I guess in the case of Parma as you have mentioned, it doesnt get cooked?? just cured and eaten raw or cooked as desired?

If, in the case you are making ham or bacon without "pumping" it with a salted brine,..ie, by caking the salt on all surfaces, would you not need a LOT of salpeter and sodium nitrate?

Im not sure what you mean about the comment of not being able to keep it very long??

Why is this? considering its quite heavily salted and kept under refridgeration?

Also, with normal cooked ham, if you added the smoke or woodchips at the same time as the cooking process, wouldnt that negate the need for the controlled smoking temperature of 20 C, as you mentioned?

I have often thought of making pastrami here. It would be easy enough, although my biggest hurdle is getting access to an oven!!

Maybe one of those small "heater" styled ovens you can buy at Carefour might do the trick?

Edited January 20, 2011 by ozzieovaseas

[sunholidaysun1]

can you explain the difference please between cured and non cured? I thought all of todays pig meat was cured ? What does curing do ? Is boiled ham different ? Im thinking cured ham is like Italian Prosscutio ? Sorry for my ignorance but I would like to know , thanks.

Curing IS the actual process that allows fresh pork meat to be processed INTO ham products. This, of course, was used as a preserving agent in the days before refridgeration was modernised.

Any ham product you can get will be "cured" to some degree, as the curing process basically means injecting a salt solution into the meat. Bacon is made in the same was, as is all continental meat products. Any processed ham product that tastes salty can be considered "cured".

To make a leg of pork into a ham, a butcher has to first fully inject the ham by what is akin to a large needle type syringe with many holes, powered by a small compressor. The compressor hose draws from a bucket of salt solution as prepared with the chemicals mentioned earlier, combined with salt and possibly other ingredients.

Every inch of the meat MUST be saturated with the curing solution, otherwise parts of the ham will spoil and possibly cause the whole ham to spoil..hence the "needling" process must be done roughly 3 inch squared intervals on the whole leg.

A superb "old knowledge" method was once used for this, whereby you could locate a certain vein near the inside of the leg and use this vein to distibute the sloution throughout the whole leg, as if blood was being pumped.

If the right vein was selected (and not previously severed) its quite possible to pump the fluid through the vain system of the leg, using a very narrow needle. This is very efficient, as in about 12-15 seconds of constant pumping the solution is distributed perfectly throughout the leg and ready to go. Having experience of this method myself however, there are certain areas of the leg that do need to be pumped by hand, (where the vein distibution method doesnt tend to reach)

The leg is then soaked in another salt/water/cure solution until which time the ham is going to be cooked. When ready, the ham is put into a net and hung up to "dry" a little.

It is then cooked for many hours at a low temperature in a smoke oven. At some part of the cooking stage, smoke chips, woodchips, or even certain special sawdust is placed in a box at the base of the oven. This is what provides the smokey taste. Today the method might be done artificially with a liquid smoke in the ham, but this will never be as good IMO.

Bacon is done in a similiar way, and if the smoke oven is large enough one can even cook multiple products at the same time, by adding cured chickens, smallgoods or even fresh roasts towards the final hour(s) of the cooking time of the hams.

Whew, well thats my once a year, semi-useful,half cohensive, trivia based post DONE

Now, back to sinsod and thai girlfriends

BTW...I was just interested to know what method the OP was going to use to make his own ham???

I guess if it was a small portion of ham it would be possible to soak it in a solution? Im not sure just caking salt preservatives around the outside would do the job effectively, but i wouldnt know as never tried this.....

Many thanks Ozzieovaseas, very interesting , now I know.

[NanaFoods]

can you explain the difference please between cured and non cured? I thought all of todays pig meat was cured ? What does curing do ? Is boiled ham different ? Im thinking cured ham is like Italian Prosscutio ? Sorry for my ignorance but I would like to know , thanks.

Curing IS the actual process that allows fresh pork meat to be processed INTO ham products. This, of course, was used as a preserving agent in the days before refridgeration was modernised.

Any ham product you can get will be "cured" to some degree, as the curing process basically means injecting a salt solution into the meat. Bacon is made in the same was, as is all continental meat products. Any processed ham product that tastes salty can be considered "cured".

To make a leg of pork into a ham, a butcher has to first fully inject the ham by what is akin to a large needle type syringe with many holes, powered by a small compressor. The compressor hose draws from a bucket of salt solution as prepared with the chemicals mentioned earlier, combined with salt and possibly other ingredients.

Every inch of the meat MUST be saturated with the curing solution, otherwise parts of the ham will spoil and possibly cause the whole ham to spoil..hence the "needling" process must be done roughly 3 inch squared intervals on the whole leg.

A superb "old knowledge" method was once used for this, whereby you could locate a certain vein near the inside of the leg and use this vein to distibute the sloution throughout the whole leg, as if blood was being pumped.

If the right vein was selected (and not previously severed) its quite possible to pump the fluid through the vain system of the leg, using a very narrow needle. This is very efficient, as in about 12-15 seconds of constant pumping the solution is distributed perfectly throughout the leg and ready to go. Having experience of this method myself however, there are certain areas of the leg that do need to be pumped by hand, (where the vein distibution method doesnt tend to reach)

The leg is then soaked in another salt/water/cure solution until which time the ham is going to be cooked. When ready, the ham is put into a net and hung up to "dry" a little.

It is then cooked for many hours at a low temperature in a smoke oven. At some part of the cooking stage, smoke chips, woodchips, or even certain special sawdust is placed in a box at the base of the oven. This is what provides the smokey taste. Today the method might be done artificially with a liquid smoke in the ham, but this will never be as good IMO.

Bacon is done in a similiar way, and if the smoke oven is large enough one can even cook multiple products at the same time, by adding cured chickens, smallgoods or even fresh roasts towards the final hour(s) of the cooking time of the hams.

Whew, well thats my once a year, semi-useful,half cohensive, trivia based post DONE

Now, back to sinsod and thai girlfriends

BTW...I was just interested to know what method the OP was going to use to make his own ham???

I guess if it was a small portion of ham it would be possible to soak it in a solution? Im not sure just caking salt preservatives around the outside would do the job effectively, but i wouldnt know as never tried this.....

Your method above sounds like commercial bone-in whole ham production.

The injection speeds up the cure penetration to the center and bone.

Injection is not necessary for smaller cuts, unless one is in a hurry.

[theseahorse]

Nana is correct. The method that Ozzieovaseas is talking about is for modern mass produced hams. You don't need to inject the meat, it just speeds things up. A real Parma, Bayonne or Serrano would never have been injected it's just placed in a salt cure mix and weighted down, then wrapped in muslin and hung.

This is the same for any size cut of meat, even an 8kg whole bone-in leg of pork is done the same way, it just takes longer. Normally it's about 2 days per kilo, but the quality of the ham and the conditions do make a bit of a difference.

[sunholidaysun1]

where can i buy a cured whole ham in Thailand ? is it expensive ? how do i store it , does it need refrigeration or just hang it at room temperature until i have eaten all ? how long will it keep without going off?