Roy Vandermaar's Amazing Dancing PIGS!

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This blog ain't for the weak or faint at heart...

"CRACK ON A STICK"

Some bbq pork I made from Roy's Pigs were wonderfully described by my 15 year old dishwasher as "crack on a stick". Crack on a stick? Animal (David Mottershall) my Sous Chef and I had taken upon ourselves to cure some hams for next season at "insane - boat" a.k.a. Dayboat next year. Yeah we made two Viginia style country salted Hams and two Prosciutto style hams.

So here's the scoop... A few months back Lisa, Lucy and myself ventured over to Pioneer Farm to check out the dilly going on over there. Part to see the farm and part to meet this Roy fellow we heard about. Yes, many songs have been sung over a pint or three of beer about Roy Vandermaar and his amazing dancing pigs... The pigs lived out doors in an electric fenced area with plenty of land to roam and forage in. The pigs looked so happy running around in the woods. Roy told me come back a little later and the pigs would be ready for the table.

A few months passed... Lisa, Lucy and I drove out to

Paul Bob's Meats in O'Leary to view the little piggies.

I had already picked out the one I knew I wanted...

We walked passed the small butcher counter in the front of the store and into the "meat cooler"

The Process

First we had to breakdown the two sides of the recently deceased pig. The hams cut off and saved for curing, The shoulders removed and boned then brined. Later this week I am going to stuff them with local apples and chestnuts and roast the pork slowly.

The loins were removed and served immediately on a bed of caramelized onions, pepper, zucchini and new crop potatoes in an olive, caper butter... a more modified version of a la Zingara (Gypsy Style)... That sold extremely well...

The belly area, normally used for bacon, pancetta and other fatty treats is being brined and stuffed with fennel and onions a la Porcetta... Big, fat, robust Italian peasant pork roast.

all the scrap meat ground and used for the stuffing... Like my first real mentor, Michel LeBorgne, once quipped "I lost my first million in the garbage can!" Restaurant profit margins are so low every piece of everything needs to be used. The heads deboned, brined and set up for torchons.

The Country Ham

I lived in Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee for a while some years ago. One of the big culinary traditions are their wonderful cured hams similar to Prosciutto, Serrano or any of the other great hams... I always wanted to try making one or two... I found the basic method and recipe from a University online and adapted it for our use.

The Basic Cure is a mixture of salt, sugar, saltpetre and spices applied at a rate of 1.25 ounces of cure per pound of ham. The hams are tied and hung for 2.5 days per pound. At the end of the cure time, mold is wiped off with a vinegared rag and the meat is aged for six months to one year or longer if you can wait.

Our cure ratio was: 2 pounds sea salt, 1 pound brown sugar, 1 ounce saltpeter with the addition of cumin, black pepper, chili powder and paprika.

Ham #1 weighed in at 17.20 pounds so it called for 21.5 ounces of cure.

Ham #2 weighed in at a hefty 19.55 pounds and called for a cure of 24.4 ounces.

The cure needs to be applied to the hock end and rubbed in deeply. This helps prevent the chance of bone sour and speed the cure reaching the center of the ham. Spread the remainder of the cure evenly all over the ham. Wrap in paper to prevent the cure being bumped off. Tie and let rest one day. At this point the cure will liquify and begin penetrating the meat. Remember moisture most be able to drip off the meat. Hang the meat in a well ventilated area that is cool. Allow the hams to cure 2.5 days per pound of meat.

CURE TIME

The curing started on September 1st, 2008

Ham #1 (17.20#) = 43 days = October 14th

Ham # 2 (19.55#) = 48 days = October 19th

So, to be safe on number two and definately cover number one we will proceed on the next step somewhere around the third week of October. Curing longer doesn't hurt. The cure times recommended represent the minimum time.

The AGING Process

Unwrap the hams, remove excess cure and any mold. Use vinegar and a cloth to remove any mold. Blot dry and dab with vegetable oil to retard mold. The hams now need to be hung shank end down and left to age for three to six months minimum. If you wanted to smoke your ham you should do it prior to the aging process.

notes of caution

Work clean, protect from any varments getting to your hams...

PROSCIUTTO

I looked all over online for guidance in this matter. Never had cured one before! The best recipe I found came from a winery in California. The recipe and process far less detailed than the country hams... Take two hams weighing in somewhere around 10 to 12 pounds each. Process garlic with black pepper into a paste. Mix with coarse sea salt and spread very generously over the hams. Put the hams on a rack in a bus tub and wrap in a garbage bag. Allow the hams to cure under refrigeration for one month.b Check and drain pan as necessary.

After the month ends press a heavy weight on top and allow moisture to drip off hams. At this point the pork should be cured and past the stage where bacteria finds meat a happy home. Wash the hams in several rinses of cold water. Pat dry and hang for five days. Then unwrap, cover again with a thick paste of garlic and peppercorns (no salt this time!) and wrap again n cheesecloth and hang for six to nine months - the longer the better.

p.s. Big thanks to Gordon Bailey, Dayboats' opening Chef, for letting us use his meat grinder. Even bigger thanks to David Mottershall, a.k.a. Animal, for both his passion, zeal for life and interest in all things INSANE! Animal is also the one who will be monitoring and providing pictures of the process as it progresses.