Raw ham production – A challenge for the hobby butcher
Why does raw meat become shelf-stable even without refrigeration after treatment (salting, smoking and maturing), and is it even possible to produce such products at home using simple means? The answer: Yes - if you pay attention to important points, it should not be an insurmountable problem to produce your own raw ham in a smoker, smokehouse or grill.
History
Raw ham is one of the oldest meat products in existence. It has a documented history of more than 2,000 years, and humanity is not yet extinct. As described in the last article (No. 3/19) "Raw sausage production", the meat was mainly salted in winter and thus made storable. The aim was, after all, to be able to feed on a slaughtered or hunted animal for as long as possible.
Description of raw ham
The cured ham consists of uncut, raw meat that is preserved by adding salt and is then left to mature to develop an appealing aroma. Ready-made products are usually stored unrefrigerated and consumed without heating. By eliminating the heating process, we are missing a crucial hurdle in terms of "food safety" (as is the case with raw sausage).
Present
Raw ham, as a subgroup of raw cured products, is produced in many variations. It is offered with or without bones, dry or wet cured, lightly or heavily smoked and even mold-matured. But this is where the difficulty in production begins. A ham on the bone requires significantly more skill, raw material selection, available controllable maturing rooms and maturing time than a product made up of one or a few muscle parts (such as bacon, salmon ham, etc.). Bacon is also a raw cured product. However, as bacon is not "matured" and not sufficiently dried, it is only offered chilled and then fried, grilled and often served with eggs and beans by the consumer. Here, no or only minimal fermentation is desired. Because in combination with heating, as with grilling, frying, etc., carcinogenic nitrosamines would form. This is also the reason why you should never grill or fry matured raw hams such as Parma or Serano etc. These products are intended to be eaten raw, and let's be honest: that's how they taste best. It was only the fear of bacteria that led to the absurd practice of frying fermented raw hams, with fatal results.
Raw ham production for home use
Knowing full well that amateur butchers usually do not have the necessary technical equipment at home, I would like to briefly outline the points that must be observed. As an example, we will use a square-cut and smoked pork rump, which is easy to obtain from the butcher. This is an interesting piece of meat to gain initial experience with, both because of the simpler production technology and the lower technical requirements, as well as the purchase price. I would only attempt a much more complicated "wild ham" once all the experience has already been gained at home and you are confident in what you are doing.
1) Raw material meat
After slaughter, the meat must be cooled quickly and thoroughly (ideally to + 2 °C). Neither the slaughtered animal nor the hunted game must be contaminated with bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract. Such meat does not offer the necessary safety for the further process of production and raw consumption. But how do you check this? It is best to know where your raw material "meat" comes from and get it from a butcher, hunter or specialist retailer you trust. When ordering, say that you want to make raw ham from it and that you need flawless meat. Official slaughter is subject to an official meat inspection, and experienced hunters also know how to assess the health of the hunted game. Most people will hardly be able to determine the correct pH value in their private environment, so just for the sake of completeness: this should be below 5.8, but with game this can be difficult to maintain.
2) Curing
A distinction is made between wet and dry curing. I prefer the latter method because it is easier to control, produces a better aroma and there is no brine that can "turn bad". The piece of meat is rubbed with a mixture of curing salt (NPS), sugar and spices (juniper, garlic, bay leaf, etc.). This can be done more simply, more cleanly and precisely by weighing the meat and vacuum-packing the required amount according to the recipe (see next page) together with the meat. This allows you to follow the recipe exactly and the ham does not have too much or too little salt, you can do without "watering" and the removal of oxygen also improves the curing color and delays the fat going rancid. So all in all, it is a clean process (even in the fridge). Vacuum devices for home use are now available in a design that is affordable for every budget. In addition, these devices can be used in a variety of ways. The curing process takes place for at least 14 days at a temperature below 5 °C.
3) Salt balancing, maturation, aromatization (called “distilling”)
The important process of salt balancing should take place for at least 2-3 days in a cool, dry, dark, insect-free and clean room (5-7 °C). This can also be a refrigerator if necessary. It just has to be dry and not filled with other products (such as vegetables, drinks bottles, etc.). To do this, simply take the meat out of the vacuum bag and do not wash or dab it, but simply place it with the rind side down on a plastic grid and container. The brine in the bag is poured away. The aim is for the product to dry out, so that the brine can drain off and the smoked goods arrive at the smoking process dry. This process therefore serves to stabilize the microbes and contributes to the important aroma formation.
4) Smoking/cold smoking
After hanging up the pieces of meat with a ham needle and sturdy sausage twine, the raw ham should be pre-dried for a couple of hours in a light airflow. The outer layer must be completely dry, otherwise the smoke will not be absorbed and the taste will vary. The smoking process must take place at temperatures of max. 20-24 °C and should last around 2-4 days for the rumps. The smoke can sometimes run out for a finer taste. A smoking time of 8-12 hours can be followed by a break of the same length. The only important thing is that your smoker, smokehouse or grill has a metal protective grid that prevents flies, insects, etc. from getting in during smoke-free times and that it does not get too warm inside. Higher temperatures cause the fat to become greasy.
5) Drying, ripening, storage
During this phase, the raw ham should lose water again, become firmer (i.e. easier to slice) and last longer. A lot of aroma is also formed during this phase. But be careful: humidity, temperature, air movement and the environment such as light, hygiene, mold-free rooms, etc. are crucial. A lot of good things can quickly be ruined in the last part of production. If the humidity is too low, for example, a "dry edge" forms, which then hinders the further loss of water from the product and thus the necessary drying (the ham closes on the outside and does not let the water out). If the humidity in the room is too high (often the case in underground cellars), undesirable, even toxic mold can form and have a massive negative impact on the safety and aroma of the product. If you notice that the edge is drying out too quickly and too much, wrap the products in foil. You do not need to vacuum the products, wrapping them is enough. This will then equalize after a few days, i.e. moisture from the product core diffuses outwards and softens the edge of the ham again, so to speak. But this will only work if you notice it in time. The process is then continued at a slightly higher humidity (containers with a little water and clean cloths on the floor under the hanging cured hams can help). The relative humidity in the dark room should be around 75-80%, the temperature 5-12 °C and everything with moderate air movement.
Weight loss
The pieces of meat should lose around 30-35% of the finished raw meat weight of the raw ham (blanks). This makes them sufficiently firm to cut, durable and therefore safe. To avoid negative effects of storage rooms on the product surfaces, the hams can be vacuum packed individually. In the packaging, a balance is created between the moisture content between the core and the edge of the product and it becomes more tender and crumbly.
TIP:
Please note the individual weight of each ham so that you can determine the weight loss at any time. You should also make precise notes of data such as the start and duration of the curing, burning, smoking and maturing. This way you can always see at a later date what was done when and incorporate the experience gained in the event of deviations (please keep the record). If you produce more hams, they should be color-coded to distinguish them (different colored threads are a good option for this). I wish you the best of luck. Get to work on the bacon!
>> Recipe suggestion per kilogram of smoked pork ham hock (square cut)
• 35 g nitrite curing salt* per kg fresh meat (hips) after cutting
• 3 g sugar (cane or household sugar)
• 0.5 g ascorbate (reddening agent, colour stabilizer, vitamin C salt)
• 2 g pepper
• 1.5 g juniper berries, crushed
• 1 g garlic paste or powder
• 1 g dried coriander (if desired)
• 1 bay leaf, shredded
Weigh the meat. Mix all ingredients together and spread over the meat in the bag, then vacuum seal.
* The reason for using nitrite curing salt (NPS) was discussed in issue No. 3/19 on the subject of raw sausage production and applies equally to raw ham production. Only when all important steps and the entire product environment are fully mastered can one switch to table salt and saltpeter (e.g. for bone-in ham with a very long maturing period, etc.). Mixtures of 50% table salt with 50% nitrite curing salt do not provide sufficient safety with the reduced salt content desired today. This is not advisable in the home environment.
More interesting facts about "FOOD SAFETY" by Gerhard Pfeffer can be found in every issue of the FIRE&FOOD magazine. In the current issue 04/2020 on the subject of swine fever.
