Curing a Ham for Christmas Part 3 and The Year in Review

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good 2011, I did, let's take a look back. But first let's close the book on this Christmas Ham.



I started it at the end of November using my bacon brine recipe. Incidently I recently read on LovePork.co.uk, that a ham made with a bacon cure is called gammon. I learn something new every day.



After a week and a half in the brine, I put the ham out to hang. Ten days in the larder and its getting close to Xmas. I smoked it for 10 hours.







The ham turned out pretty good, next time I think I will let it brine a little longer. And that's how 2011 ended for me, Good, but I gotta do better.

2011 began with me wondering if Saucisson MAC was over. I started working full time at Three Floyds Brewpub, and I had little time to experiment at home. But that doesn't mean I wasn't having fun. Every week we got in several Gunthorp Farms pork bellies that we turned into bacon. I used the bacon scraps and the trimmings from our Duck Frites dish to create the monsterous Bacon Duck Dog.



We butchered a goat for tacos,



we butchered a Red Wattle hog from South Pork Ranch for a Cochon555 event.



And we went vegetarian for the Green City Market BBQ.



Then in August I took time off to spend with my family in Hawaii. We made some beautiful food.

In September, I found more time to blog and I have been slowly trying to get the sausage locomtive back on track.



I started out with making chicharones from bacon skins.



For British Sausage Week, I made some Cambridge Sausages.



For St. Martin's Day, I made some Snout Bacon.



Smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving,



And cured fish and made eggs for Christmas Brunch.

In the New Year, I resolve to bring new sausages that you can make at home. I will share with you my recent obessions with Kimchi and French Fries. And I'll introduce you to some new friends along the way. In the meantime I have to grout the tile in the kitchen and walk the dog.



Cheers.