Home-Cured Holiday Ham

by

Description

There are many reasons for making your own holiday ham: bragging rights that you actually did this, but also that you can flavor your ham any way you want and you can control the salt content.

Ingredients

  • 1 (7 pound) fresh, bone-in pork shoulder (“picnic”) arm roast, with the skin still on
  • 6 quarts water, divided
  • 18 ounces kosher salt
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 7 teaspoons pink salt #1 (curing salt)
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spice, or to taste
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Place kosher salt
  2. brown sugar
  3. pink salt
  4. and pickling spice in a container large enough to hold brine and ham.
  5. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and pour over brine ingredients; whisk to dissolve. Pour in 1 gallon fresh cold water to cool down mixture.
  6. Score the skin side of pork roast with a sharp knife
  7. cutting into the fat beneath the skin but not into the meat. Score about 1 inch apart
  8. then score in the opposite direction to get a classic diamond-shaped pattern.
  9. Lower roast into brine
  10. skin-side up. Use a plate to weigh down roast
  11. so it cures fully submerged in liquid. Refrigerate for 1 day for every 2 pounds of pork (cure for 2 1/2 days for a 7-pound roast). Turn roast over halfway through the brining process.
  12. Remove roast from brining liquid. Discard brining liquid and transfer roast back to the brining container. Cover roast with fresh cold water to rinse off salt; let soak for a few minutes to overnight
  13. depending on how salty you want your ham. Remove roast from water and blot dry with paper towels.
  14. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  15. Add 1 cup water and 2 whole star anise to a roasting pan. Place roast on a rack in the roasting pan.
  16. Roast in the preheated oven until ham reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F (55 to 58 degrees C)
  17. about 2 hours. Ham will not be fully cooked at this point. If water has nearly evaporated
  18. add a splash more.
  19. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Continue to roast ham until the skin is browned and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees F (63 to 66 degrees C).
  20. Make optional glaze: Mix mustard
  21. maple syrup
  22. cayenne pepper
  23. and salt together in a bowl. Brush glaze on baked ham. Return roast to the oven for 5 minutes.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 4 days

Servings: 16

Leave a Comment