Curing ham hock

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 2 kg pork knuckle(s), for this you need 4 – 6 L brine, 10%
• 100 g sea salt or rock salt for 1 liter of water, gives 10% brine sharpness
• 5 g pepper, coarsely ground
• 4 g juniper berries, crushed
• 1 tsp mustard seeds, crushed
• 4 g caraway seeds, as desired
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 small onion(s)
• 1 liter of water
• 2 tbsp honey

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest period approx. 8 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 8 days 3 hours

Cured knuckle or cured ribs

For every kg of meat you need at least 2 liters of brine if you inject the brine, otherwise at least 3 liters of brine per kg of meat to equalize the concentration in the meat. You boil a brine from all the ingredients and, after it has cooled, sieve out a small amount and inject it into the meat using a brine syringe or large doctor’s syringe. Then you put the meat in an earthenware pot or meat tub and keep it cool for 1 week, outside, in the cellar or in the refrigerator. A temperature of around 5°C or below is ideal. After brining, the meat needs to be hung in a cool, airy place for around 24 hours. You can then let it simmer in a large pot, e.g. an electric preserving pan, at 85°C for around 2 hours to cook, around 1 hour per kg, and then smoke it or you can alternatively cold smoke it 1-2 times and then cook it, although I prefer the latter. Important: The spice quantities listed above are based on 1 liter of brine. So, if you want to cure 2 kg of meat, we recommend making at least 4 liters of brine, but you’ll need to inject the brine. If you only want to cure in brine, you’ll need at least 3 liters. For pork knuckle, injection curing is recommended, as the rind prevents or at least delays the brine’s effect. You can get really clever by adding 4 g of crushed red peppercorns per 1 liter, but not everyone likes them.