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Homemade Pork Ham

I think everyone has tried and knows what ham is. There is a large variety of this meat product made from different types of meat in stores. I cook ham at home, it's tastier, healthier, I use the spices I like, and there are no flavor enhancers, water, you know what I mean. The process is not quick, first the meat is salted for 6 days, and then it undergoes heat treatment in the oven. It is very important to follow the cooking technology. An oven-safe meat thermometer is a must. On average, ham takes about 5-6 hours to cook. But the result, believe me, is excellent, the meat is delicious, elastic, as it has not lost moisture, so it is juicy and has a beautiful color.

Pork (rib meat)

7.6 lb

Kosher Salt

1.3 oz

Nitrite Salt

1.3 oz

Dried Garlic

0.07 oz

Black Pepper

0.07 oz

Bay Leaves

2 pcs

Coriander

0.07 oz

Nutmeg

0.07 oz

Oregano

0.07 oz

Before cooking the ham, wash the meat and thoroughly dry it with paper towels. Then mix nitrite and kosher salt and sprinkle the meat on all sides, slightly pressing it in.

I order nitrite salt online. What is it for? First, thanks to it, the meat retains its pink color, and second, it acts as a preservative and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, including botulism.

Next, wrap the meat in plastic wrap and let it sit for 6 days at a temperature of 41-43°F (e.g. in the refrigerator or a cellar). It is desirable to label the meat to avoid confusion with dates. Write down the date you placed the meat in the fridge and the date you need to continue cooking.

After the necessary number of days, remove the meat from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. In the meantime, prepare the spices, grind them well in a mortar, and then rub the meat with them.

You can use any spices you like, you can also reduce the amount if you don't like the ham too flavored, it's all up to you.

Now the most interesting part: Step 1. Warming up. When the meat warms up, insert a meat thermometer into it and place it in an oven preheated to 122°F until the temperature inside the piece reaches 68°F. Step 2. Drying. Increase the oven temperature to 140°F and wait until the temperature inside the piece becomes 113°F. Step 3. Browning. Now increase the oven temperature to 185°F and wait until the temperature inside the piece is 140°F. Step 4. Boiling. Reduce the oven temperature to 176°F, place a pan with boiling water on the bottom of the oven and steam until the temperature inside the piece reaches 163°F.

If you are a lucky owner of an oven with a steam generator and a built-in meat thermometer, you just need to set the necessary functions and that's it. With a regular oven, it will be a bit more troublesome, but possible. As I mentioned before, the whole process will take 5-6 hours.

The ham is ready, remove it from the oven, transfer it to a container, cover with a lid or tighten with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. After 6 hours, enjoy the delicious homemade pork ham. You can make sandwiches with it, use it in salads, add it to pizza toppings, etc. Homemade ham can be stored at a temperature of 32-43°F for 6-7 days.

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