Ham. Hog Ham. Let’s Give It A Try

I got a hog a few weeks ago, and one thing I haven’t tried yet, is to make a ham out of the hind quarters. Well, I’m giving it a try now. We will see how this turns out because I relied on a little AI to develop the recipe.

Am I nervous? Not really. Am I concerned? A little.

Here is what Perplexity suggested after several iterations back and forth with what I thought made sense and what it was suggesting.

For 8 Quarts (2 Gallons), Combine:
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon pink curing salt (#1)
• 16 juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 8 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 8 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 8 bay leaves
• 1–2 onions, quartered
• 8–12 garlic cloves, smashed
• 8–12 whole cloves (optional)

Brine Preparation Steps
1. Dissolve and Infuse: Heat 2–3 quarts of water with all salt, sugar, honey, and spices until dissolved and aromatic.
2. Cool: Add the remaining cold water and ice to bring the brine to refrigerator temperature before adding the meat.
3. Submerge: Place the ham in the container and pour the cooled brine over until fully submerged. Add a plate or weight if needed to keep it under.
4. Brine Time: For a bone-in ham of your size, brine for 6–8 days, turning the ham every couple of days for even curing

Now, I thought the mustard and coriander amount seemed a bit much, so I scaled it down, Also, for what it’s worth, I used some honey a gathered in Moldova. Will it make a difference? Maybe. It’s an interesting tasting honey—certainly different than the honey we find here in Texas.

Feel free to comment if this looks feasible or totally unfeasible.

Just whatever you do…don’t drop the brine as you take it to the fridge…