Cured Ham

Cured Ham - Family de Freitas

Recipes

Cured Ham (Delma Gomes from Radio Demerara)
16 lb bag of pork 1 lb brown sugar	1 lb salt 2 oz black pepper	1 gill best vinegar 1 oz saltpetre
Put ham in earthenware pan and sprinkle saltpetre, especially around the bone and knuckle, and leave for 12 hours. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper, rubbing in well. Pour over with vinegar and leave for 24 hours. Rub the ham all over once a day until you have a tablespoon of liquid from the ham, then continuing every day fro a month, basting with the liquid. Keep in the fridge. Hang it up for a week to drain and dry. Put in a bag for 3 months – a shorter time of 5 or 6 weeks will also work. Rub for 16 minutes every day – the rubbing is important

Cured Ham (Delma Gomes from Beaton’s Cook Book)
14 lb bag of pork 1 lb common salt 7 lb coarse sugar	2 oz saltpetre 3 gals water 3 lbs bay salt	2 oz salt prunella 5 lbs common salt
Pound and mix the saltpetre, salt prunella and 1 lb common salt and rub well into the meat. Lay it in a tub or pan, turning daily for two successive days. Create pickle by placing remaining ingredients into a saucepan on a hot fire, stirring frequently and removing all the scum as it boils for 15 minutes. Pour over the ham. Rub well and turn daily for 21 days.