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diff --git a/blog/gotham.md b/blog/gotham.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cfd0677 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/gotham.md @@ -0,0 +1,150 @@ ++++ +title = "Generic Homemade Ham" +rss = "An easy template for making uncured ham or similar brined pork" +date = Date(2021, 11, 19) +tags = ["lyf", "recipe"] ++++ + +Where I'm from, hams are stupid expensive due to the lack of demand. +This is unacceptable because I *love* hams![^hamm] After years of not tasting +even a single slice, I decided for myself to make some, and noting down +what works and what doesn't. + +Unlike other stuff you usually find on the interweb, the following recipe +will not require any fancy equipment,[^equipment] chemical[^chemical] +or quantities that (should) only appear in a math textbook. It will also +try to be flexible, so that you can be free to experiment with whatever +you feel like that day, while knowing for sure you'll still end up +with something at least remotely resemble a piece of ham. + +## Brining + +Making ham, like any other food, comprises of only two steps: preparing +and cooking. Brining not only makes the meat salty[^self] but also enhances +its tenderness by braking down the proteins. + +The most important ingredients for this process are meat, salt and sugar. +As for the meat, it's preferably from a pig's thigh, but anything +with a similar texture will do. You do want a cut with parallel muscles +to minimize the amount of silver skin and tendon though, plus it will have +better presentation. As always, intramuscular fat is a delicious cherry +on top, but not too crucial in this case. On the other hand, any kind +of salt and sugar would do. Personally I use sea salt and brown sugar +because they are the cheapest to be found locally, whilst they add some extra +flavors and minerals. + +### Dry + +Dry brining is only suitable for (family-)serving-size cuts of meat, +somewhere from 200 to 500 grams. Anything larger would have troubles +absorbing the seasoning. Otherwise, cover the meat in coarse salt and sugar +and leave it in the fridge from a few hours to overnight, depending +on its mass. + +How much seasoning? Be generous, but you'd want to still be able to see +the meat underneath. I don't think you can't overseason it, just remember +to rinse off the remaining rub before cooking. As for the ratio, I like +to twice as much salt as sugar, but I've seen people doing 1:1 or even 1:2. + +### Wet + +The brine formula I'm about to describe is heavily influenced from [Mike G's +recipe], which is also uncured ham. First, pour enough water to submerge +the meat in a pot (no, don't put the meat in the pot) and heat it up. If you +have a fairly fitting container, the amount is close to the mass of the meat +itself. + +Then, add 5% salt, 3% sugar, and whatever spices can go well +with your future ham. I usually use a few bay leaves, some thyme +and crushed peppercorn, but any aromatic, fresh or dry, should work. +You don't have to be exact with the amount of seasoning either: if you +don't have a scale, measure with a spoon and be generous. Due to the lack +of nitrate, the brining shouldn't occur for more than a few days +and the more concentrated the solution, the faster the absorption. + +Let the brine cool down, pour it in a container, +drown the meat[^cereal] (use a weight if necessary) and put it +in the fridge. A cut of a few hundred grams should take around 24 hours. + +## Cooking + +After taking the meat out of the fridge and wash it lightly, wait around +an hour for it to reach room temperature. If you don't have paper towel, +place it on a rack or an elevated plane to dry off the surface. + +Before cooking, I like to rub a few other extra spices on my meat. +My favorite are smoked paprika (for the smoky flavor), garlic powder, +freshly grounded black pepper and perhaps some nutmeg. + +From here, it's similar to cooking a steak: you'd want it in an environment +close to the target temperature, which is around 68°C, or 63°C if pork +in your area is heavily regulated. The closer it is, the smaller the difference +between the center and the outer layers may be, i.e. you'll less likely +to overcook the latter. There are three ways[^threesome] to do this indoor: +sous vide, pan-frying and oven-roasting. If you have a sous vide machine, +I'd assume you wouldn't need my instructions, so I will focus on the other +two methods. + +### Pan-frying + +First, rub a touch of cooking oil[^oil] all over your meat, then turn on +the stove to the lowest-possible heat and place the pan and the meat +on it. It should take 30 to 40 minutes to reach to desired temperature, +depending on your stove. You can use your finger or a chopstick to poke +on the meat: if it feels raw it's probably raw, if it's solid it's overcooked; +you'd want it bouncy, right before it stops being so. Yes, it's a lot of trial +and error and unnecessarily stressful, just get a thermometer, especially +the one you can stick in for the entire process. + +It is not compulsory to sear a ham, but I'm addicted to the [Maillard reaction] +so Imma do it anyway. You can sear before or after cooking, I usually +do the latter (reverse searing) because it seems to make more sense. +Move the meat to a temporary plate and wipe the pan clean. Turn the stove +up to medium-high and wait for it to get hot. + +If your meat does not look like it can fit it a body building contest, +coat it with little more oil, then drop it on the pan. Rotate it every 30 +seconds until the whole surface area is golden brown, then transport it +back to the plate for resting until you can comfortably touch it before slicing. +Serve with yellow mustard. + +### Roasting + +If you have an oven, place the meat on its rack and turn it down to lowest heat +(mine is 100°C). In this method, a thermometer is also compulsory to monitor +the meat inner temperature, which should take around 80 minutes to raise +to the target one. I suggest bisecting the checking intervals, e.g. check after +40 minutes, then 20, and so on. + +If you're worried about the wasted energy, you can cut some carrots, potatoes, +tomatoes and/or onions (anything high in carbs, really) in half and throw them +in the oven. After taking the meat out, turn the oven up to highest and you'll +have some beautifully caramelized side dishes. + +The oven I have at home is not powerful enough for searing the meat (quickly) +so I usually turn to the pan instead. + +### Slow cooking (bonus) + +This is a bonus because I could never make a ham out of it, but pulled pork. +On the other hand, it's so tender that you won't be able to slice and needs +much less attention. Since we won't sear the meat, it's a good idea to use +a binding like mustard to stick even more rubbing spices on the surface. + +After rubbing, touch the bottom of the slow cooker with a bit a oil +to avoid sticking, drop the bay leafs from the brine on it and place the meat +on top. Cook *low* from six to eight hours, then using forks or chopsticks +separate the muscles from each other. You can serve immediately or let it +cook a bit more after pulling. + +[^hamm]: Especially [Jon Hamm's John Ham]. +[^equipment]: Ain't nobody got at smoker at home. +[^chemical]: Where can I get nitrates? A chemistry lab? +[^self]: Like yours truly. +[^cereal]: Or the other way around, it's not cereal. +[^threesome]: Nice! +[^oil]: One with smoking point above 170°C. + +[Jon Hamm's John Ham]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiLJsOsRKUI +[Mike G's recipe]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fm3lNM5vV4 +[Maillard reaction]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction |