Smoked Tasso Ham Recipe
Adapted from Charcuterie, “The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing”; by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn.
Got caught up on the holiday sausages last week and figured it was time to replenish my Tasso. There’s nothing like a good bowl of gumbo or jambalaya on a chilly winter day; and the only thing better than homemade gumbo or jambalaya is using your own Tasso in the recipe. For those not familiar with Tasso, it’s simply a Cajun style of curing pork shoulder.
Ingredients
5 Pounds, boneless pork shoulder
Curing Ingredients:
7 Tbsp kosher salt
5 Tbsp dextrose or (3 tbsp sugar)
1 Tbsp pink salt (aka InstaCure #1; Prague Powder #1; Modern Cure; TCM)
Cajun Seasoning Ingredients:
3 Tbsp ground white pepper
1½ Tbsp cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp dried marjoram
3 Tbsp ground allspice
Preparation
Curing:
Combine all curing ingredients and blend well.
Slice the shoulder into long steaks or slabs. For a five-pound pork shoulder, try to slice it into 5 slabs.
Dredge the slabs in the cure, pressing down and be sure to coat all surfaces.
Shake off the excess and place in the fridge for about 4 hours.
Remove the pork from the fridge, rinse under cold water making sure to remove the cure completely, and pat with paper towels to dry.
Smoking:
Mix all Cajun seasoning ingredients until well combined, and coat all the slabs evenly.
Place them into a 180 – 200°F preheated smoker, apply smoke for at least 2 hours, and continue to cook until they reach 150°F.
Remove from smoker and allow to rest. After the rest period, cube or slice according to your recipes, or store whole in the fridge or freezer.