Holiday Ham

Description
This recipes does require quite a few weeks to prepare, if you cure your own ham!

Ingredients

 * 1 cured ham (10 - 12 pounds)
 * ¾ cup brown sugar
 * 1 tin pineapple slices
 * cloves
 * cherries

Ham curing

 * 1 ten pound leg of pork
 * 1 pound salt
 * 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
 * 1 teaspoon saltpeter
 * pinch mixed spice
 * pinch nutmeg
 * 1 quart boiled water (cooled)

Directions

 * 1) Soak home-cured ham overnight in sufficient water to cover it to remove excess salt.
 * 2) Put in cold water in a large pot or pan and bring water to the boil.
 * 3) Simmer for 2 hours.
 * 4) Allow it to cool in the same water.
 * 5) Remove from water and take off skin.
 * 6) Score to make diamond pattern by cutting through the fat with a sharp knife - not more than ¼" deep - in the lean.
 * 7) Stick a clove in each diamond.
 * 8) Blend the liquid from the pineapple slices with the sugar in a sauce pan.
 * 9) Cook over a low flame, stirring occasionally until the mixture boils to form a glaze.
 * 10) Pour this glaze over the ham.
 * 11) Garnish with pineapple slices and cherries.
 * 12) Put the ham in a oven and bake at 300°F for 1 ½ hours, or until done, "basting" with the dripping from the pan.

Ham curing

 * 1) Add sugar and saltpeter to salt and mix thoroughly.
 * 2) Divide salt mixture into two parts.
 * 3) Mix on half in boiled water.
 * 4) Add pinch of spice and nutmeg to other half.
 * 5) Divide remaining salt mixture into two parts.
 * 6) Put away one part to be used after the fifth day and rub remaining half into pork.
 * 7) Rub thoroughly into skin and part into the fleshy part (use all of the salt).
 * 8) Using injector, inject meat, with liquid, five times, two in the knuckle part and three into the fleshy part.
 * 9) Wrap meat into two layers of greased paper and several layers of newspaper, and tie securely.
 * 10) Tie well to secure the shape of the ham.
 * 11) After five days open and rub in remaining salt.
 * 12) Leave for five or six weeks to cure.
 * 13) Smoke slightly.