Devonshire Cure for Hams or Bacon
Devonshire Cure for Hams or Bacon is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of curing hams or bacon by salting in a mix of salt and saltpetre befre brining in water, salt and sugar and then smoking and storing. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Devonshire Cure for Hams or Bacon.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
30 minutes
Total Time:
50 minutes
Additional Time:
(+6 weeks curing and smoking)
Serves:
10–12
Rating: 
Tags : Pork RecipesBritish Recipes
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
TO CURE BACON OR HAMS IN THE DEVONSHIRE WAY.
821. INGREDIENTS.—To every 14 lbs. of meat, allow 2 oz. of saltpetre, 2 oz. of salt prunella, 1 lb. of common salt. For the pickle, 3 gallons of water, 5 lbs. of common salt, 7 lbs. of coarse sugar, 3 lbs. of bay-salt.
Mode.—Weigh the sides, hams, and cheeks, and to every 14 lbs. allow the above proportion of saltpetre, salt prunella, and common salt. Pound and mix these together, and rub well into the meat; lay it in a stone trough or tub, rubbing it thoroughly, and turning it daily for 2 successive days. At the end of the second day, pour on it a pickle made as follows:—Put the above ingredients into a saucepan, set it on the fire, and stir frequently; remove all the scum, allow it to boil for 1/4 hour, and pour it hot over the meat. Let the hams, &c., be well rubbed and turned daily; if the meat is small, a fortnight will be sufficient for the sides and shoulders to remain in the pickle, and the hams 3 weeks; if from 30 lbs. and upwards, 3 weeks will be required for the sides, &c., and from 4 to 5 weeks for the hams. On taking the pieces out, let them drain for an hour, cover with dry sawdust, and smoke from a fortnight to 3 weeks. Boil and carefully skim the pickle after using, and it will keep good, closely corked, for 2 years. When boiling it for use, add about 2 lbs. of common salt, and the same of treacle, to allow for waste. Tongues are excellent put into this pickle cold, having been first rubbed well with saltpetre and salt, and allowed to remain 24 hours, not forgetting to make a deep incision under the thick part of the tongue, so as to allow the pickle to penetrate more readily. A fortnight or 3 weeks, according to the size of the tongue, will be sufficient.
Time—Small meat to remain in the pickle a fortnight, hams 3 weeks; to be smoked from a fortnight to 3 weeks.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
sides, hams, shoulders and cheeks of pork
For Every 5kg of Meat Add:
2.5g saltpetre (0.5g per 1kg meat)
1g salt prunella (this is saltpetre that's heated into balls [a portion converts to potassium nitrate and allows the curing process to proceed quicker]) [optional].
360g rock salt
For the Pickle:
10.5l water
1.8kg rock salt
2.5kg coarse sugar
1.1kg sea salt
Method:
Weigh the pieces of meat to be cured and for every 5kg of meat pound together the above quantities of saltpetre, salt prunella (optional) and rock salt. Place the meat in a non-reactive container and rub in the salt mix. Rub well and turn the meat every day for 2 days.
After this time, make a pickle by combining the water, rock salt, coarse sugar and sea salt in the above proportions in a large pan for every 5kg of meat. Bring to a boil, skim the surface and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and pour, hot, over the meat. Set aside in a cool place to cure, ensuring the meat is completely covered in the brine.
Turn and rub the meat every day. If the pieces are small (less than 14kg in total) then the sides will be cured in 2 weeks and the hams and shoulders in 3 weeks. If the pieces are large, then brine the sides for 3 weeks and the larger pieces from 4 to 5 weeks.
When thoroughly brined, remove the meat from the liquid and hang for 1 hour to dry. Smoke the meat before storing (3 to 4 weeks in a
r).
For the an example of how you can make a home-made cold smoker with modern materials, see the article on: making a home-made cold smoker.
The left-over pickle can be skimmed, boiled and skimmed again. Add 900g salt and 900g treacle and use this to pickle tongues. Make an incision in the thickest part of the tongue and cover in salt and saltpetre (300g salt and 0.5kg saltpetre to every 1kg of tongue). Keep in this pickle for 24 hours and, to help the pickle penetrate make a deep incision in the toughest part of the tongue's root. After this time, wipe away any excess salt and lay the tongue in the in treacle pickle for 2 to 3 weeks to cure.
Find more Mrs Beeton Recipes Hereand more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.