To Keep Hams
Ingredients
Directions
Cure the hams
Mix salt, saltpeter, and water in a large container.
Submerge hams in the brine, ensuring they are well covered.
Leave hams in the brine until April.
Remove hams from the brine.
Drain the hams for 3-4 days.
Prepare the slices
Slice the hams as needed.
Trim off the rind.
Fry the slices until nearly cooked.
Pack and seal the jars
Pack the fried slices into stone jars.
Press the slices down tightly.
Place a weight on top of the full jars.
Let the jars cool completely.
Cover the jars with the fat rendered from frying or melted lard.
Seal the jars tightly.
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
- Meat
- Forms the body of the dish, which is cured in brine and preserved for storage.
- Coarse salt
- Draws out moisture and slows spoilage, preserving the meat during the long brine cure.
- Saltpeter
- Acts as a curing agent that helps preserve the meat and gives it a cured color.
The step that matters
Seal the jars tightly. Covering the cooled slices with fat excludes air, and a tight seal keeps oxygen and microbes out so the meat keeps well in storage.
“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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