crusted ham

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 3 kg pork (bottom leg with rind)
• 1 kg spice brine
• 1 liter of water
• 120 g curing salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 10 g juniper berries, crushed
• 15 g coriander seeds, broken
• 15 g peppercorns, broken
• 20 g sugar
• 2 large bay leaves
• 100 g cream
• Chicken seasoning
• Paprika powder, sweet

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest period approx. 3 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 days 5 hours 30 minutes

Spray curing

The brine is made by simmering all the ingredients in a liter of water for 30 minutes, then allowing it to cool. It is best to then filter it through aquarium filter cotton. 20% of the meat’s weight, i.e. 600g of spiced brine, is injected at intervals of 3-4cm. The meat is then placed in a plastic bag with the remaining brine, twisted off to remove as much air as possible so that the meat is surrounded by the brine, and cured in the refrigerator for 3 days, turning it every day. After this time, the crusted ham is vacuum-sealed and then cooked in the bag in water (I use a canning machine) at 75°C. This takes about 1 hour per kg of meat. Immediately after cooking, dry the ham slightly with kitchen paper and cut cubes or diamond-shaped pieces into the rind using a scalpel or carpet knife. Prepare the marinade by adding the ready-to-use chicken seasoning and paprika powder to the cream and stirring until lump-free. The marinade should be pasty and richly seasoned. Brush the ham completely with the pasty marinade. Place it in an oven preheated to 200°C and brown it for about 30-40 minutes. Brush it again occasionally. Enjoy cold as a cold cut with bread or baked in 2 cm thick slices.