Ham Made from Pork Knuckle
Ham made from pork knuckle is a fantastic snack, better than any store-bought deli meat! The quality of packaged cold cuts these days leaves a lot to be desired. Here's a homemade version of natural ham that beats the commercial stuff on flavor and is made entirely from real, whole ingredients.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Gather all the ingredients for the recipe.
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Step 2:
Rinse the pork knuckle, scraping the skin lightly with a knife if needed. Make a lengthwise cut, feel for the bone, and work it out with a sharp knife. Save the bone for making soup.
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Step 3:
Open the meat out flat into a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, adding curing salt if you'd like (see the tip below). Rub the seasoning into the meat. Sprinkle on the paprika, nutmeg, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, spreading them evenly over the surface. Peel the garlic and press or finely grate it, then spread it over the meat. Finish with the chopped dill.
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Step 4:
Roll the meat up into a log and tie it with kitchen twine, working it into an even, rounded shape. Rub the outside of the roll with salt.
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Step 5:
Crush the remaining whole spices in a mortar and break the bay leaves into pieces. Spread a sheet of plastic wrap on a board and scatter the spices over it, then set the meat roll on top of the spices.
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Step 6:
Wrap the ham tightly in several layers of plastic. If you're using curing salt, refrigerate it for 3 days; with plain salt, 24 hours is enough. Then place the wrapped roll in a roomy pot, cover with water, and cook at a bare simmer for 3 hours.
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Step 7:
Transfer the ham to a colander and run it under ice-cold water. Without unwrapping it, chill the roll in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
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Step 8:
Unwrap the plastic and remove the twine. Slice the ham with a sharp knife.
- You can make this ham with curing salt (about 10 grams), a safe alternative to old-fashioned saltpeter. It gives the meat a pink color and that classic ham flavor. For cooking, use plastic wrap rated to 120 degrees C (about 250 degrees F), the microwave-safe kind, which holds up to simmering. Finished pork-knuckle ham has a real meaty flavor scented with spices and garlic, plus a tender texture. Slice it for a party platter, or pack it for a snack at work or on the road. This natural product keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Bay leaf - 313 kcal/100g
- Ground black pepper - 255 kcal/100g
- Dill greens - 38 kcal/100g
- Caraway - 333 kcal/100g
- Black peppercorns - 255 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Paprika - 289 kcal/100g
- Allspice - 263 kcal/100g
- Pork knuckle - 294 kcal/100g
- Nutmeg - 556 kcal/100g
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 186 kcal/100g
