How to Cure a Country Ham

With the proper mix of sugar, spices, temperature and patience you can cure your own country ham. Dr. Gregg Rentfrow. a certified meat scientist will show you how.

Here is a write up that you can print out:

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UKAg Links:

[randyrussell]

I grew up on a farm thru the 60s and 70s , 15 acres in crops, beans, purple hull peas, cabbage, potatoes, peanuts, turnip greens, okra, tomatoes, water melons, musk melons, cantaloupe and lots of CORN. We had starberries, plums, peaches, concord and muskadine grapes. Had a corn sheller that shelled corn fast as you could dump it in and a corn mill for our own corn mill and my Grandaddy ground for many others who came from miles around to trade, many bringing their own corn from their fields. We had a large corn crib and the real deal walk in smoke house where everthing from dry corn cobs to hickory wood and tree bark was used for smoking the meat. Renderd lard from hogs to cook with and make soap. Canned and pickled most everthing but had several big freezers in the large garage that had been turned into have canning and food storage with its on fridge that would hold water melons when they come in, it would hold two or three and others would be there to replace them as they come out, we gave away thousands of melons and truck loads of produce. Those of us living on the farm were hunters and fishermen and have feasted off wild game and fish . We did not have cattle but hey need of beef, butter, milk and flour was a good reason to go to town and buy some groceries . The farm fed several families and not the full time job for those that lived on it, my Daddy was a Carpenter builder and my uncle that lived on the farm was in the refrigeration business, they both could weld, plumb and do electrical, my Granddaddy was a master black smith . No such thing as taking a car, truck or tractor to a mechanic because we were the mechanics with grease racks, pits and all . Sure there were times that we had to take engine parts and others to a shop to hare worked or buy new ones but we did most everthing but so did many of those around us. I had a flat on my bike at 7yrs old and my Daddy said " I'm gonna show you one time " meaning pay attention because you are exspected to do it from now on, then I broke the rod in my mini bike engine at 12 ( got away on some wet red Georgia clay ) my Daddy said " I will show you one time " and that is all it took . I only had a 9th grade education and got a Army GED while serving in the 82nd ( Required in my family to serve ) and have spent most my life building and blessed to have skills that many or most Americans once had but I am truly worried about most of our young adults and their mothers and fathers, they have lost skill sets and work ethics that are certainly going to be needed if our Nation is going to be able to survive, Americans must start doing for themselves again, you can not count on running to google, be a doer, God gave humans something wonderful, He also gave us instructions, start using them before its too late. God Speed

[laurencelance]

Grandfather lived in the deep woods of British Columbia. He cured all his own meats, and they were DELICIOUS! I can still remember his smokehouse! Thanks for posting this.

[aleph]

One of my fondest memories of childhood is waking up to the smell of home sugar cured ham frying on a cold morning and eating it with my mother's homemade biscuits

[lazarus__]

I love that they are teaching these skills to new generations

[tillerbeez]

I helped my dad cure 8-24 hams/shoulders every year for 20 yrs. We never used ANY sugar. I remember losing 2 hams in all those yrs and both were cause by moisture contact from the wooden shelf we used. During the first 3 months of open air curing with the hams and fat back basicly in total coverage of pure salt. After the first curing session we washed the hams, dried them, then reapplied a lesser amount of cure mix of salt, black pepper, red pepper and paprika. It is then paper bags and bagged in washed cloth flour sacks for what you the summer sweat.

[mikerouswell]

Dr. Gary lane was one of my professors at Texas A&M University. He is a very good man and teacher. Thank you Dr. Lane.

[gateway]

Man, I’ve done scads of these. My Grandpa had a small drill operated auger injector for putting the rub right into and around that joint. He also had boards placed under the hams so you could see the color of the dripping fluid both during the cure and smoking. The boards ran outside so you could see without having to go inside. He was a brilliant guy.

[bnelogic]

Six years later and I've just watched a really good practical and informative video.

[guidichris]

Great video. My wife's grandfather passed before he could tell me how this was done, so I am looking forward to doing this. The one thing I do remember him telling me is the best hams were made from pigs harvested that day.

[soundinvestments]

They have a really detailed PDF on UK website that has more detail on this process.

[garnetk]

one would like to see the cutting and sharing of the product after seeing the steps

[drafting]

I dont know if I will ever try this, but this is maybe the best starter video, and a must see, as I have seen! Thanks!

[dmithsmith]

It blows my mind how someone could give this video a thumbs down...Country Ham is like meat candy.

[Bajaranger]

Great video, but there are some pertinent questions that would be nice to have an answer to. Cleaning the ham before aging is one in particular. Washing, rinsing or just brushing off with a brush? Thanks for your efforts and posting this video.

[Hodmokrin]

I never really knew there was such a thing as a meat scientist, but now that I know, I'm glad.

[caroltee]

I can't get over how you can do all this without refrigeration and it doesn't go bad. I've tasted only one country ham and I thought it was wonderful.

[jerrycoon]

I know I'm kinda late watching this video but I just wanted to give credit on a video well done. Great job!

[OutdoorsandCountryLiving]

Would love to see a newer version of this that includes the smoking and explains the points where you can eat it. Could you eat before you age once it’s cured after the 60 days? Thank you!

[bbq-fasho]

That is a old school way people do not see anymore nice video big man!!!

[juneladd]

Great video ..and I really enjoyed the process ..I was in FFA many years ago and raised a hog...I'm 63 now, but wish I had learned this curing process way back in 1976-77...They should teach more of this in the Agricultural classes in High school, especially if your raising a hog..