HOW TO CURE MEAT FOR LUNCH HAM OR NEW ENGLAND STYLE PRESSED HAM (ALSO CALLED BERLINER STYLE HAM) (Copyrighted by B. Heller & Co.; Reprint Forbidden.)

The Freeze-Em-Pickle Process is especially adapted for curing Ham trimmings which are used for Berliner Style Hams, Lunch Hams, Boneless Hams, New England Style Pressed Hams, etc. It will cure and preserve Ham trimmings perfectly, and will give them a rich, delicate sugar-cured ham flavor. It does not draw the albumen out of the meat, but the natural binding qualities are retained, and the meat has a rich, red, cured-meat color. Trimmings cured with the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process can be kept in cold storage for a year without getting too salty or becoming short and losing their nice flavor and binding qualities.

NEW ENGLAND STYLE PRESSED HAM

The following directions must be carefully followed to get the results desired:

First:—The trimmings should not be larger than an egg, and should be as uniform in size as possible.

Second:—Do not run the trimmings through an Enterprise Grinder to cut them up before packing them, as it has a tendency to heat the meat.

Third:—Trimmings that are to be held for any great length of time must be fresh as possible; if they should be somewhat slimy, they should be washed thoroughly in cold common salt brine and allowed to drain until quite dry. Never mix or salt trimmings that become slimy, with fresh ones; always pack them separately.

Fourth:—It is absolutely necessary that the meat should be thoroughly chilled, and that the packing should be done in the cooler so that the temperature of the meat will not get above the temperature in which it is to be cured.

Fifth:—For each 100 lbs. of trimmings, take 1 lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 1 lb. of best Granulated Sugar and 2 lbs. of Common Salt, and mix these thoroughly with the meat. Mixing thoroughly is very important; it should be carefully done so as to insure a uniform cure.

Sixth:—Have the tierces or barrels perfectly clean and sweet; then sprinkle a little salt on the bottom, and fill the barrel or tierce about one-quarter full of salted meat, and pound it down hard with a tamper. Do the same when the barrel is half full and continue in this manner until the barrel is filled. This tamping is done to expel the air between the pieces of meat, and it is an important factor to insure a uniform cure and color. If the trimmings are to be kept any length of time, it will be necessary that the tierces or barrels should be headed up, and they should always be filled with meat as much as possible. When trimmings are to be used as soon as cured, it is not necessary to head them up, simply put a top on them and weight them down, or cover them with a clean cloth and put a layer of salt about one inch thick, over the top of the cloth. This will keep out the air and will give good results. The trimmings will be cured in from two to three weeks, and are then in a perfect condition to be made into New England Style Pressed Hams, etc. They need not be soaked in water, nor need any salt be added as they are ready for instant use just as they are and will have a delicious sugar-cured ham flavor.

See paragraph on Temperature for Curing Meats on page 46.