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US 4,753,809 AGranted
Country ham curing process
OwnerNeil B. Webbinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel process for curing whole hams and improved boneless hams comprising the steps of mixing the ham or ham portions with a cure mix; storing the hams for a period of days; smoking the hams; subjecting the hams to ultraviolet light for a period of days; aging the hams under ultraviolet light for a period of days; forming the hams or ham portions after excess fat removal and trimming to a desired form or shape; cooking the hams for a period of hours at reduced humidity to facilitate trichina destruction, binding and moisture removal from said hams; chilling the hams to a reduced temperature; and packaging the resulting ham product; wherein each stage is conducted under particular parameters of time, temperature and humidity.
Claims15
A process for producing a country ham product comprising the steps of:
- a. Applying a dry cure mixt to ham portions in sufficient quantity to prevent growth of microorganisms on the ham, while massaging the hams, wherein the cure is mixed with the hams for a time of from 10 minutes to 10 hours while maintaining the ham portions at a temperature of from 25.degree. F. to 50.degree. F., then
- b. storing said hams for a period of from 3 to 21 days at a temperature of from 25.degree. F. to 50.degree. F., then
- c. smoking said hams in an air flow of 1 to 10 feet per second in a smoking chamber for a time period of from 1 hour to 4 hours at a temperature of from 40.degree. F. to 125.degree. F. at an atmospheric humidity of not more than 20%, then
- d. maintaining said hams at a temperature of from 30.degree. F. to 45.degree. F. for a period of time of from 3 to 21 days at an atmospheric humidity level of from 70% to 100%, while subjecting said hams to ultraviolet light sufficient to inhibit microbial growth, while an air flow is maintained over said hams at a rate of 1.0 to 20 feet per second whereby said cure is equalized in said ham portions, then
- e. aging said ultra-violet light treated hams for a period of from 2 to 38 days at a temperature of from 35.degree. F. to 75.degree. F. while said hams are maintained in an atmospheric humidity of from 10% to 90% while subjected to ultraviolet light over at least all top and bottom surfaces thereof, wherein said aging step is conducted while maintaining a forced air flow over said hams of from 1 to 20 feet per second, then
- f. removing excess fat and undesirable portions from said ham and forming said pieces into a desired shape while maintaining said ham at a temperature of from 25.degree. F. to 75.degree. F., then
- g. cooking said hams for a period of from 1 hour to 10 hours at a high temperature not in excess of 180.degree. F. and at an atmospheric humidity level not in excess of 60% to remove moisture from said hams, while said hams are subjected to an air flow of 1.0 to 20 feet per second, then
- h. chilling said hams to a temperature in the range of 25.degree. F. to 75.degree. F. then
- i. packaging said ham at a temperature in the range of 25.degree. F. to 75.degree. F.
6 more elements
A process for producing a country ham product comprising the steps of:
- a. applying a dry cure mix to a ham portions in sufficient quantity to prevent growth of micro-organisms on the hams, while massaging the hams, wherein the cure is mixed with the hams for a time of from 10 minutes to 90 minutes while maintaining the ham portions at a temperature of from 35.degree. F. to 40.degree. F., wherein said hams and cure are mixed together with rotation at a speed of from 3 r.p.m. to 20 r.p.m., then
- b. storing said hams for a period of 3 to 10 days at a temperature of from 35.degree. F. to 50.degree. F., then
- c. applying a second application of a dry cure mix again, after storage for 5 days, in sufficient quantity to prevent growth of micro-organisms on the hams, while again massaging said hams, wherein the cure is mixed with said hams for a period of 10 mintues to 60 mintues while maintaining the ham portions at a temperature of from 35.degree. F. to 40.degree. F., wherein said hams and cure are mixed together under rotation at a speed of from 3 r.p.m. to 20 r.p.m., then
- d. smoking said hams in an air flow of 1.0 to 10 feet per second in a smoking chamber for a time period of from 2 hours to 3 hours at a temperature of from 70.degree. F. to 100.degree. F. at an atmospheric humidity of not more than 20%, then
- e. maintaining said hams at a temperature of from 35.degree. F. to 45.degree. F. for a period of time of from 9 to 11 days at an atmospheric humidity level of from 60% to 80%, while subjecting said hams to ultraviolet light adequate to cover at least all top and bottom surfaces of said hams, while an air flow is maintained over said hams at a rate of 1.0 to 5 feet per second whereby said cure is equalized in said ham portions, then
- f. aging said ultra-violet light treated hams for a period of from 8 to 20 days at a temperature of from 40.degree. F. to 55.degree. F. while said hams are maintained in an atmospheric humidity of from 45% to 80% and subjected to ultraviolet light over at least all top or bottom surfaces thereof, wherein said aging step is conducted while maintaining an air flow over said hams of from 1 to 5 feet per second, then
- g. removing excess fat and undesirable portions from said ham, cutting said hams into pieces of from 1/8 inch chunks to full muscle sections, forming said pieces into a desired shape while maintaining said ham at a temperature of from 30.degree. F. to 45.degree. F., then
- h. cooking said hams for a period of from 2 hours to 5 hours at a temperature in the range of from 135.degree. F. to 155.degree. F. and at a atmospheric humidity level in the range of from 10% to 25% to remove moisture from said hams while said hams are subjected to additional smoking at an air flow of 1.0 to 5 feet per second and where the dampers are kept closed after the first hour of this step, then
- i. chilling said hams to a temperature in the range of 55.degree. F. to 75.degree. F., then
- j. aging said hams for a period of from 1 day to 5 days until the ham moisture content drops to the range of from 50% to 55%, at a temperature of from 55.degree. F. to 75.degree. F. and an atmospheric humidity level of from 40% to 60%, while maintaining an air flow over said hams of from 2 to 5 feet per second, then
- k. packaging said ham at a temperature in the range of 25.degree. F. to 75.degree. F.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.