Vendée Ham
Vendée Ham from the namesake region in the Western Loire is known for its mild, slightly sweet aroma created by the addition of Cognac and sea salt. It is traditionally cold-smoked over beech sawdust and has a characteristically tender, pink texture. The use of Cognac in the curing mixture makes it a true French specialty.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparation of the Cognac Curing Marinade
30 minutesMix sea salt, curing salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Add honey and Cognac and stir into a uniform paste. The marinade should have a spreadable consistency. Rub the ham on all sides with it and wrap in cling film.
Curing
10–14 daysStore the wrapped ham in the refrigerator at 4–6 °C. Turn every two days and reapply any drained marinade if needed. The honey caramelizes slightly on the surface and later forms a nice glaze during smoking.
Drying & Equalization
2–3 daysRemove the ham from the foil, briefly rinse, and dry very carefully. Hang in a cool, well-ventilated place at 10–12 °C. The surface should develop a slightly tacky but not wet texture that optimally absorbs the smoke aroma.
Light Cold Smoking
4–6 days (6 hours daily)Cold smoke very subtly over fine beech sawdust at 15–22 °C. Smoke for only 6 hours daily to not overpower the delicate Cognac-honey aroma. The ham should develop a golden-yellow to light-brown color, not become dark brown.
Short Maturation
2–3 weeksAllow the ham to mature at 10–14 °C and 72–78% humidity. The Vendée ham does not need months of maturation – after 2–3 weeks it is ready to eat and should then be sliced thinly to fully reveal its delicate aroma.
Pro Tip
The Cognac should be worked directly into the curing mixture and not merely drizzled over the ham. A good VS Cognac (aged at least 2 years) gives the best flavor result. The smoking should be very subtle so that the delicate Cognac-honey character is preserved.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.