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Thread: Cure for bear ham

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Cure for bear ham

    I went through all 18 pages in the recipes forum,
    I found one thread on bear ham. I know it must be, but can you really have bear sit in a brine for 6weeks? It just doesnt seem right.
    I would like also to hear about more recipes. Lining up the bear befor i shoot!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    2,312

    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Brine is a cure, the amount of salt usually in brines as well as other ingredients with acidic values "cures" or cooks the meat not allowing it to deteriorate. Not to mention all the other curing agents added, but six weeks does seem a little long to me considering when i send mine in to be made into hams it is usually back within a month, but that way the meat is also being smoked.
    I send my hams in to be cured, i just havent had the time to learn it myself yet.

  4. #3
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    Jul 2009
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    Re: Cure for bear ham

    I can understand it a bit, cureing. I obviously have no experiance in it.
    but the whole time factor thing. As well as no temp. was told in the thread. I would like to try to do it myself but maby I'll have it done

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Burns Lake
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    Re: Cure for bear ham

    There isn't a whole lot of info out there on the web either I have been trying to figure it out as well. The temp. would be the same as cooking though just to kill the trich., I would think. This is the best I have found yet googling http://kenalbala.blogspot.com/2009/06/bear-ham.html
    Last edited by gibblewabble; 02-15-2010 at 02:28 PM.
    Originally Posted by Gatehouse "I don't worry about the trim on rifle scopes. Probably because I have never caught the ghey."

  6. #5
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Bow Island, AB
    Posts
    156

    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Here is the brine I've been using for pork. I did a lot of research on the net before picking this one:
    2l water
    3/4 cup kosher salt
    1 generous cup of brown sugar
    4 teaspoons tenderquick
    I also add some crushed garlic, and some crushed cloves. I heat it on the stove to ease blending and just add garlic and cloves by smell.
    Multiply as necessary to immerse your ham. Set a plate or two on it/them if necessary to keep it immersed. Keep in fridge between 34 and 36 degrees.
    If it's above 36 it'll make mold, if it's below 34 the cure won't work well.
    Cure at a rate of 2lb/day, I heavily inject them day one, and then every other day. Injection is the key. If you don't heavily inject, you'll get areas that aren't "ham". Especially dense muscle areas.
    After soaking appropriately, rinse off in cold water, then soak in clean cold water for 1/2 hr or so.
    I then smoke with maple at 140-160 for 4-5 hrs.
    Waaaay good ham.
    If you want a different recipe, just search "making ham", or "curing ham". Some of the state universities have excellent info online and cover the safety aspects well. They cover dry or country cured ham as well.

    Simple bacon recipe:
    (just cause it's so good)
    For every 5lb of meat:
    1/4 cup kosher salt
    1 tsp tenderquick(or pink salt, I can get tenderquick locally)
    1 cup brown sugar(or maple syrup if you're feeling rich)

    mix together, rub all over the meat, put meat in plastic bag(we seal it but not vacum)
    toss in 34-36degree fridge for a week, turning every day.
    After 7 days, rinse it off and....it's bacon! How easy is that?
    I smoke it with maple for a couple hrs at 140-160.
    Best bacon I've had in decades. I slice it, lay it out and then vacum seal it. If you just package it in a "lump", it's tough to get apart when chilly.

    Before we bought a pig to butcher I picked up a cheap shoulder roast and some loin, made a ham out of the roast, and split and made bacon out of the loin to try these recipe's. Both are great. You need fatty meat for the bacon. Out of actual pork belly my wife thinks it tastes like that "tulip" canned bacon, I just think it tastes like, "more".

  7. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Bow Island, AB
    Posts
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    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Keep in mind these recipe's require cooking. I think it's the SD U site that lists all the temps required if you want to cook it in the smoker.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    9,436

    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Awsome Bruce,Thanks.
    that sounds a little closer to a time i trust. But is Tender quick a trade name? I guess its something i can pick up at a butcher? all of the above will be cooked in an oven until at least 170deg i guess it is.
    It is a large part of why i want to shoot a bear this year is to play with this sort of cooking.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Bow Island, AB
    Posts
    156

    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Tender quick is made by "Morton" (as in salt) It's their version of "cure". It's also referred to as pink salt, or curing salt. Morton's has a website. I found it at the local IGA, I'm certain any butcher shop that makes sausage will have some kind of curing salt.

    Yes, they have to be cooked, and while I don't remember the number, here's the website that has the info; it's under either "thermal processing, or food safety guidelines"
    Enjoy.
    And let us know how the bear turns out please.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Bow Island, AB
    Posts
    156

    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Oops: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/he176w.htm

    was in a hurry to go and flip the bacon.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Region 9-7Q
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    2,247

    Re: Cure for bear ham

    Thanks for posting that Bruce.
    I'll use it on my 2010 Olympic Spirit Bear Hams!

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