Fortunately for busy cooks, many cooking procedures no longer need to be done in the home. Canning and pickling fall into this category. But knowing preservation techniques and doing them from time to time can provide a great satisfaction and a deeper appreciation of our culinary heritage.
Pickling meats is one of the most important preservation techniques, and surprisingly it is not difficult.
With corned beef or ham, the process is same: Submerge the beef or pork in brine for a week or longer, depending on the size of the meat.
The salt in solution replaces much of the meat juices. Stored in the brine, the meat can be preserved for months.
Now is the ideal time: With the same brine you could turn out a lovely corned beef, then a nice homemade ham for Easter.
How to pickle meats
Pickling ham or corned beef at home requires little more than a good crock or suitable vessel to hold the meat for a week or two, a cool place to store it (the refrigerator is perfect, but a cool cellar will do as well) and some salt.
A ceramic crock is ideal, but stainless steel, glass or an enamel-lined bowl or pot also would do nicely. Avoid aluminum and tin; salt will eat into the metals, imparting an unpleasant, unhealthful metallic taste.
First, place the meat into a suitable vessel, then add water to cover the meat, probably 8 quarts. To make the brine, remove the meat, add 4 to 6 cups of coarse-grained salt, then stir.
Next, test to determine whether or not you have added enough salt: If a fresh, whole egg will float in it, there is sufficient salt; if not, add more salt.
At this point you can add potassium nitrate (saltpeter), a chemical preservative that gives pickled meats their pink color.
If you choose to omit this additive for health reasons (its risks to health are being debated), the only obvious difference will be that the color of the ham or corned beef will be a drab brown. (Potassium nitrate may be purchased in a pharmacy.)
Keep the meat submerged at all times or it will spoil. To preventing it from floating, which it will have a propensity to do, may take ingenuity.
You can place a weight on top of it, or tie strings around it and weight it on the bottom.
Here are basic recipes for preserving and cooking meats:
BRINE TO CURE MEAT
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Soaking time: 7 to 14 days
Meat, such as pork or beef
4-6 cups kosher salt (approximately)
1 whole egg, raw
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
4-6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried leaf thyme, or a few sprigs of fresh
1/2 cup potassium nitrate (saltpeter), optional
1. Place the meat in large ceramic crock or in a stainless steel, glass or enamel-lined bowl or pot and cover with water. Do not use an aluminum or tin container.
2. Remove the meat and add the kosher salt, stirring to dissolve it. Add the raw egg whole. If the egg floats, there is enough salt; remove egg. If the egg sinks, add more salt.
3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Return the meat to the vessel and weight it so that none of it is above the liquid. Place a lid on or cover with alumimun foil and keep in a cool place for 1 to 2 weeks, according to the size of the meat: 4-6 pounds, 7 days, 7-9 pounds, 10 days; 10-12 pounds, 12 days;
13-15 pounds, 14 days.
4. When ready to cook, rinse the meat well.
CORNED BEEF
Six to eight servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
1 corned beef, 4-6 pounds (brisket is best)
1 bay leaf
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 teaspoons peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and add water to cover by about 2 to 3 inches. Heat to a boil; lower the heat and simmer 3 hours or until done, when a long-tined fork pierces the meat easily.
2. Allow the corned beef to sit for at least 10 minutes before carving. Slice as thin as possible. Serve with vegetables for a dinner celebration or with rye bread and mustard or horseradish for sandwiches.
Note: When making corned beef and cabbage (or other vegetables, such as carrots, onions, turnips or potatoes) it is better to boil or steam the vegetables in a separate pot. Cooking them in the water with the meat will result in greasy vegetables.
The word ham only refers to the thigh of the pig, whether it is served fresh or preserved. This recipe uses the true ham, but a shoulder roast will do as well.
PICKLED HAM
25-30 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 to 6 hours
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 15 to 30 minutes
1 preserved ham, with skin (rind) left on, 12-15 pounds
3-4 onions, unpeeled
2 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon leaf thyme
1 tablespoon peppercorns
Ham glaze, optional, recipe follows
Cloves for studding, optional
1. Rinse the ham well. Place it in a pot large enough to hold it and cover with 3 or 4 inches of water. Add the onions, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns. Heat to a boil; lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes a pound (20 minutes for larger hams, 30 minutes for those under 9 pounds), or about 5 to 6 hours. The meat is done when a long-tined fork pierces it easily. Let ham cool in the broth up to 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain the ham and remove the skin. Cover the top of the ham with glaze, as suggested below, if desired. If you wish, score the ham and stud it with cloves. Place the ham in the oven and lower the heat to 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until a light glaze has formed. If necessary, sprinkle more sugar over it. Let rest 15-30 minutes before serving; slice thin.
HAM GLAZES:
— Brown sugar and mustard: Combine 1 to 1 1/2 cups (depending on the size of the ham) dark brown sugar with enough dijon-style mustard (about 1/4 cup) to make a glaze.
— Madeira: Douse with 1/2 to 1 cup Madeira, then sprinkle with white or brown sugar.
— Mustard and jelly: Spread with a combination of dijon-style mustard and currant jelly (about 1/2 cup of each).
— Honey and ginger: Combine 1/2 cup each of honey and orange juice, then stir in 1 cup light or dark brown sugar.
— Cranberry: Mix 1 cup cranberry jelly with 1/2 cup light corn syrup.
