Swedish Christmas Ham (Julskinka)
"This is the traditional way to make a ham for the smorgasbord served on Christmas Eve in Sweden. I grew up eating this wonderful dish, and look forward to it ever year. It's really an investment of time- yes, it takes two weeks to make. But, most of that is hands-off; and the result is well worth it. This recipe was written before commercial refrigeration was available, and I'm posting it the old fashioned way. If you have room in your fridge to keep a 10-12 pound ham for two weeks- be my guest. I just put it in my unheated (and VERY cool) laundry room to cure and brine. I do, of course, refrigerate the leftovers."
photo by IngridH
- Ready In:
- 316hrs
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Yields:
-
1 ham
- Serves:
- 10
ingredients
- 5443.10 g fresh ham (not cooked or cured or smoked- just raw pig leg)
-
Cure
- 236.59 ml salt
- 59.14 ml sugar
- 2.46 ml saltpeter
-
Brine
- 5676.0 ml water
- 709.77 ml salt
- 88.74 ml sugar
- 22.18 ml saltpeter
-
To Cook
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 peppercorns
- 10 allspice berries
- 1 egg white
- 14.79 ml mustard powder
- 9.85 ml sugar
- 354.88 ml fresh breadcrumbs
directions
- Combine 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon of saltpeter. Massage this mixture all over the ham, coating the entire surface well.
- Place the ham in a food-safe container large enough to hold it, cover, and place in a very cool place for 3 days turning occasionally. (In the old days, a wooden or stone container would be used; I use a large bucket lined with an extra large zip top bag.).
- On the third day, bring the water to a boil, add the salt, sugar and saltpeter. Once the salt has dissolved, remove from the heat and cool.
- Pour the brine over the ham- it should be completely covered.
- ***If you don't have enough to cover, make more brine, using 1/2 cup salt and 1 tablespoon sugar for each quart of water. The amount you need will vary depending on the size of the ham and the size of the container you use.
- Cover the container, put it in a cool place, and leave for 10 days.
- After it has sat for 10 days, remove from the brine, and wipe well.
- Place fat side up in a pot of boiling water, covering the ham completely.
- Bring the water back to a boil, add the bay leaves, peppercorns and allspice berries, and cover.
- Simmer for 3 hours, or until tender.
- Remove from the cooking pot and take off the skin. Using a cloth, wipe off all of the loose fat. Place back in the water, and let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the egg white, mustard powder and sugar.
- Remove the ham from the water, pat dry, and coat with the egg white mixture.
- Sprinkle with the bread crumbs, patting them to ensure they stick to the egg coating.
- Place in the oven, and let bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown.
- Let cool completely, and slice to serve.
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Reviews
-
I am going over the recipe in preparation to making this. One MAJOR mistake that can make people sick. In the instructions it says to use 1/2 TABLESPOON of saltpeter. That NEEDS to be TEASPOON
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I live near Seattle, WA with my husband of 11 years and our pet ferrets.
We're lucky enough to own a home with a big, south facing yard which is great for entertaining. It also allows me to have a big vegetable garden where I grow most of my own herbs and a lot of the vegetables we eat in the summer, as well as a bunch to share with family and friends.
In my professional life, I'm an accountant- but what I really love to do is cook and eat! Most of my ability is self-taught. I love to experiment with new recipes and techniques, most of which I get from watching way too much food tv and reading foodie magazines.
Recently I decided to start a personal chef business and have cooked for a few clients. I love the challenge of designing a menu to fit a family's specific tastes and needs, and then cooking it for them to enjoy.
For me, cooking is an expression of love. Everyone needs to eat, but food is more than just fuel for the body, it can nurture and comfort ~ give us a memory from childhood, or a retreat when we feel ill. I always think of the people who I'm cooking for when I make a dish, and there is no better compliment than when someone enjoys the food I've made especially for them.
I also like to do OAMC- style cooking, but instead of using it mainly to get dinner on the table, I focus on getting lunch in the bag! Eating out is far too expensive in both dollars and nutrition to make a habit of, yet I want a hot, satisfying meal to enjoy in the middle of the day. Cookin ahead allows me to have great food, without sacrificing either my dollars or my waistline.
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