Introduction and Ham Overview
At 0:00 in
Cutting into a Traditionaly Cured Country Ham after 22 months!
What happens here
The video opens with the host, Josh from Stoney Ridge Farmer, introducing himself and his friends from Hand Hewn Farm, Andy and Doug, in Ohio. They are gathered around a wooden table where a large, cloth-wrapped pork shoulder is resting. Josh explains that this is the first ham they cured on their farm, specifically a 35-pound shoulder from a 350-pound hog, cured approximately 20-22 months prior. He describes the ham's protective layers: a nylon bag wrapped in paper, secured with cotton string. He notes that the ham was covered with salt for two weeks before hanging, and then coated with a mix of brown sugar, water, black pepper, and a touch of liquid smoke and red pepper on the bone ends to deter 'skippers' (bugs). The group toasts 'to the life of the meat' with drinks in hand. The host also introduces Hand Hewn Farm and its offerings, including butchering and curing classes.
Goal: Understand the history and curing process of the pork shoulder.
Tools and materials
- Bottle of Alcohol — For a celebratory toast
- Glass Tumblers — Holding celebratory drinks
- Water Bottle — For hydration during the activity
- Black Pepper — Part of the curing mixture
- Brown Sugar — Part of the curing mixture
- Cotton String — To secure the paper wrap
- Liquid Smoke — Added for flavor and pest deterrence
- Nylon Bag — First protective layer for the ham
- Paper Wrap — Second protective layer for the ham
- Red Pepper — Applied to bone ends to deter pests
- Salt — Initial curing agent
- Water — Part of the curing mixture