Wild Red Game Ham by Alan Bale

Dry Curing is using salt to preserve the meat, once 35% weight loss has been obtained, the meat can be consumed.

The basic recipe for this cure consists of:

• 1 part sugar
• 1 part salt

You then add on top of this a variety of herbs and spices according to your preference. Popular spices for venison include:

• Juniper
• Lovage
• Celery
• Celeriac
• Rosemary
• Lingonberries
• Garlic
• Peppercorns

In a kilo of cure you might expect to find two tablespoons of Juniper seeds, a good handful of chopped lovage, a stick of thinly sliced celery, two sprigs of rosemary, a tablespoon of Lingon berries (Cow berries), five finely chopped garlic cloves and/a tablespoon of Peppercorns.

Rub the salt cure into the meat thoroughly, covering every part of the meat. Cover it. Place in a tub in the fridge for 2 days. Liquid will form at the bottom, this needs to be drained.

Drain the liquid and rub more cure into the meat, return to the fridge in a sealed container.

Keep doing this until the desired weight loss has been achieved.

Soak in two changes of cold water for a total of at least 1 hour, and ensure all parts of the ham are exposed to water – this is vital if your ham is to taste of anything other than salt.

Pat dry with a muslin or some kitchen towel

Cook for around 1 hour at 150 degree C (adapt according to your own preference of how rare you like it).

Store in the fridge and eat within 1 week. Slice thinly for maximum loveliness.

(Image coming soon…)