Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Non-Cattle Specific Topics
Recipes & Cooking
Hog Processing Grandpas Way
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Jogeephus" data-source="post: 992255" data-attributes="member: 4362"><p>Its really quite simple but its also ingenious given the fact they figured out how to do this along about 3500 BC but mankind did not understand the science of it till the early 1900's. Basically, what you are doing is dehydrating the meat using salt. The salt used is a special salt containing both nitrates and nitrites. Prior to 1900, special salts were found and used for this purpose. These salts were prized but after 1900 science unravelled the mystery of these magic salts by isolating the nitrates and nitrites. These chemicals are the basis of the nitrogen cycle and when they react with meat they break down and form nitrous oxide which prevents the formation of botulism spores so the use of these chemicals is a important today as they ever were and are the only thing outside of radiation that will prevent the formation of this toxin. Any of the misinformation you have read on the news pertaining to nitrates is just that. Misinformation which for the most part has been retracted but only in small print but the effects of this poor journalism is still felt today.</p><p></p><p>All that aside, basically what you do is to treat the meat with salt to reduce the available water below .92. At this point, the baddies cannot ruin the meat and it becomes shelf stable. Once this process is complete, the meat is sometimes hung in a smokehouse to bathe in the smoke so it will gain a smokey flavor as well as to keep insects like the skipper fly from boring into the meat. In most cases the meat is simply left in the smokehouse till its needed. The longer the ham hangs (or ages) the better it gets. The Bohemians will cure hams whenever a baby girl is born. These hams hang till her wedding day and are then used for the feast.</p><p></p><p>Many people today think cured hams are to salty but this is because they do not know how to prepare them. There are two main ways. One is to slice it thin - with only one side as 3-way says - and serve it like proscuitto or use these slices for garnishes or hordevours. The other way is to soak the meat in water for a couple of days before baking. Keep in mind, the reason for curing the meat was to make it shelf stable in a time when refrigeration wasn't available.</p><p></p><p>Then there are other things and a whole world of stuff you can do in between from city hams to all sorts of bacon. Thousands of possibilities.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jogeephus, post: 992255, member: 4362"] Its really quite simple but its also ingenious given the fact they figured out how to do this along about 3500 BC but mankind did not understand the science of it till the early 1900's. Basically, what you are doing is dehydrating the meat using salt. The salt used is a special salt containing both nitrates and nitrites. Prior to 1900, special salts were found and used for this purpose. These salts were prized but after 1900 science unravelled the mystery of these magic salts by isolating the nitrates and nitrites. These chemicals are the basis of the nitrogen cycle and when they react with meat they break down and form nitrous oxide which prevents the formation of botulism spores so the use of these chemicals is a important today as they ever were and are the only thing outside of radiation that will prevent the formation of this toxin. Any of the misinformation you have read on the news pertaining to nitrates is just that. Misinformation which for the most part has been retracted but only in small print but the effects of this poor journalism is still felt today. All that aside, basically what you do is to treat the meat with salt to reduce the available water below .92. At this point, the baddies cannot ruin the meat and it becomes shelf stable. Once this process is complete, the meat is sometimes hung in a smokehouse to bathe in the smoke so it will gain a smokey flavor as well as to keep insects like the skipper fly from boring into the meat. In most cases the meat is simply left in the smokehouse till its needed. The longer the ham hangs (or ages) the better it gets. The Bohemians will cure hams whenever a baby girl is born. These hams hang till her wedding day and are then used for the feast. Many people today think cured hams are to salty but this is because they do not know how to prepare them. There are two main ways. One is to slice it thin - with only one side as 3-way says - and serve it like proscuitto or use these slices for garnishes or hordevours. The other way is to soak the meat in water for a couple of days before baking. Keep in mind, the reason for curing the meat was to make it shelf stable in a time when refrigeration wasn't available. Then there are other things and a whole world of stuff you can do in between from city hams to all sorts of bacon. Thousands of possibilities. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Non-Cattle Specific Topics
Recipes & Cooking
Hog Processing Grandpas Way
Top