Salting and Curing Meat
Ingredients
Directions
Rub the salt and sugar mixture thoroughly into the meat.
Ensure the meat is well coated and let it sit for the appropriate time.
For bacon, soak in water for 1-2 hours; for ham, soak overnight or longer if very dry.
For best results, bury the ham in the earth for 1-3 days if it is dry.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the meat and slows spoilage by lowering available water, while seasoning it.
- Sugar
- Balances the saltiness and adds a mild sweetness that rounds out the cured flavour.
The step that matters
Soaking after curing. Soaking draws out surface salt so the meat is not overly salty. Soaking for too short a time leaves it harsh, while soaking too long can wash out flavour and moisture, so timing matters.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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