Fit for Company, Fit for a Crowd, Comfort Food, Great Leftovers
Curing a whole bone-in ham by immersing the leg in brine is not feasible at home because it would take roughly 40 days for the cure to penetrate to the bone, long enough for the leg to spoil. To reduce the distance the brine has to penetrate, this recipe uses boneless roasts. The amount of time the meat will spend in the cure depends entirely on how thick the piece of meat is. If your roast comes rolled and tied or netted, you must remove the string or net so that the thickness is lessened. The curing times I provide are approximate, and you may have to experiment, keeping good notes on the diameter of the roast, any variations you made in the brine recipe (see Cook’s Notes), and how salty the meat is.
Makes 1 ham
INGREDIENTS:
- 3- to 5-pound fresh ham inside roast (top roast),
- 4- to 6-pound fresh ham outside roast (bottom roast),
- 3- to 4-pound fresh ham knuckle roast (sirloin tip),
- 2- to 3-pound boneless sirloin, or a boneless whole or half pork leg (fresh ham)
- Basic Wet Brine made with Insta Cure No. 1
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Brine the ham, following the directions in step 1 of Home-Cured Bacon. Make sure the meat is submerged at all times. For inside roast, knuckle roast, and sirloin roast, 3 to 4 inches thick, cure for 3 to 4 days. For outside roast and boneless leg, whole or half, at least 4 inches thick, cure for 3 days, then remove the meat, stir the brine, replace the meat, and cure for 2 days more.
- Once the meat is cured, roll it and tie to form a uniform roast before smoking. Follow the directions on cold-smoking. Cool to room temperature, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months).
- To serve, roast the ham in a 325°F oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F to 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you wish to glaze the ham, see Baked Ham with Glaze and Sauce. Roasting times are approximate and will vary depending on the size of the ham.
APPROXIMATE ROASTING TIMES TO REACH 140°F TO 145°F CUT ROASTING TIME
- Knuckle or sirloin 1 to 1¼ hours
- Inside roast 1½ to 2 hours
- Outside roast 2 to 2½ hours
- Boneless half leg 2½ to 3 hours
- Boneless whole leg 3 to 4 hours
COOK’S NOTES:
- Vary the brine as suggested in the Cook’s Notes following Home-Cured Bacon. I am partial to the honey, maple, and tropical variations for brining ham.
- For a ham similar to the French jambon de Paris, instead of roasting, poach it in a broth made with water, wine, or beer, thyme sprigs, sage sprigs, bay leaves, onions, celery, carrots, and pickling spices for 1½ to 3 hours.
