Best Ham Brine & Best Turkey Brine recipe for smoking

Another recipe from my cookbook

We use a little sauce bottle kind of device with a long thick needle see the picture for detail. the strange thing is I haven't seen this on the food network or other food channel on pay tv even since we bought it.

I find  to make a ham or even a better Turkey is with a great ham brine. To make a turkey brine is a similar process if not the same except for adding sugar.

When you lern how to brine properly you will not only be adding moisture  also a range of delicous flavors to your type of meat by using a pretty basic salt water recipe. For a chicken recipe just halve the amount of brine made approx.

Best Turkey Brine

1 cup sea or rock salt (prefer sea salt)

1/2 cup sugar
4 litres vegetable or chicken stock

5 tablespoons Mixed herbs

1 tablespoon dried mustard

4 litres ice water (cold)

Method

Use the chicken or vegetable broth whilst it is still warm to dissolve the salt and often the dried herbs.
Allow that mix to cool a little then add the iced water.

You want to have a large container around 20 liters to mix this in and to allow enough room for the cut of meat to properly brine overnight in the fridge.

The next day in other words 24 hours in total just before you are about to cook your cut of meat you want to rinse and dry it first.

Example for a slow smoke ham leave it smoke for round 24 hours per 5 kilo ham strong flavour or for round 12 hours per 5 kilo ham for milder.

Note plus Another recipe from my cookbook

The traditional turkey brine recipes I have seen don't use it but I use sugar in my Turkey brine recipe for a better taste and caramelisation.

This may look complicated BUT... It's not rocket science people. 

Just trying the recipe first and then adjust to suit your tastes for the next one.

You'll be an expert at smoking ham in no time, specially if you are ham smoking in a Smoke n Pit

Best Ham Brine

10 Litres water

1 – 1.5 kg salt

1.25 kg brown sugar

250 ML maple syrup

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

1-ablespoon white pepper

1-tablespoon ground cloves

3/4-1 kg raw sugar

1-ablespoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon nutmeg

3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

a large container around 20 liters

OPTIONAL

Flavours your choice we used

.5 g potassium nitrate per kilo of ham

30 ML peach concentrate

20 ML bourbon concentrate

Method

Combine all ingredients except flavour into saucepan and heat for 20-30 minutes cool add the other ingredients and pour over pork leg in a large container around 20 liters. Brine for up to 3-4 weeks enough for 5 – 7 kg

Just before you are about to cook your cut of meat you want to rinse and dry it first. Then just cook according to the cut of meat you have chosen.

Example for a slow smoke ham leave it smoke for round 24 hours per 5 kilo ham strong flavour or for round 12 hours per 5 kilo ham for milder.

CHECK out the video for more detail

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