How to cure Jinhua ham

Jinhua ham is a traditional specialty of China, a famous dish for welcoming guests to the banquet. The traditional processing methods are as follows.

One, the selection of materials Select skin thin feet fine, leg heart full, blood clean hair, meat fresh pig hind legs, cooled, can be cured. The weight of fresh legs is generally about 5 to 6 kilograms. Fresh leg shape to be trimmed, scraping the fat meat on both sides, so that it becomes bamboo leaf shape.

Two, pickling Take a large porcelain pot to spread a ham is appropriate, the bottom of the pot on several clean bamboo pads, skin down, meat facing up, leg skin and the bottom of the pot can not be contacted, divided into 3 to 6 times on the salt. The first time on the amount of total salt 1/5 ~ 1/6, 2 to 3 days after the surface layer of salt melt away, the bottom of the basin outflow some blood should be removed in a timely manner. The second on the amount of salt accounted for the total amount of salt 1/2 ~ 3/5, fat thick and exposed bones and other places should be more salt, with the skin at the repeated rubbing. 6 ~ 9 days after the gradual dissolution of the salt seepage, for the third, the fourth salt, until the salt is all used up. After another ten days or so pickling is the end of the total pickling time of 20 to 35 days, the total amount of salt accounted for 7% to 10% of the weight of fresh legs, depending on the temperature.

Three, washing and drying of the cured meat legs soaked in clean water with a soft brush to remove the surface of the remaining salt and stains, hanging in the sun to dry, generally 3 to 5 days in winter, sunshine to the skin oozing oil, the meat slightly rose-red to the degree.

Four, fermentation will be sun-dried legs placed in a ventilated dry place, with the rising temperature, the surface of the ham began to ferment naturally, the ham meat surface green or green gray-yellow colonies, which is a natural phenomenon of good fermentation, do not have to wipe off, at this time, the ham began to produce a special, sweet and clear flavor. Throughout the drowning and fermentation process, to prevent insects and flies bite, so as to avoid spawning insects.