Spicy Dry Cured Ham Recipe – Fruity, Smoky & Fiery
Pork neck cured with ancho, chipotle and bird's eye chili, then air-dried. Fruity, smoky and properly hot.
- Type
- Ham
- Level
- Medium
- Rating
- Rate this recipe
In this post, I’ll show you how to make spicy dry cured ham yourself. It is made from pork neck and seasoned with three kinds of chili: ancho for a slightly fruity note, chipotle for a slightly smoky one and bird’s eye chili for really good heat. The heat comes through nicely and the ham tastes rich and full.
The preparation takes about 30 minutes, but the total time is several weeks. If you are new to this, start with my complete guide to making dry cured ham. Similar hams are my Mediterranean cured ham and my red wine cured ham. If you wonder why cured ham stays pink, read Why Is Ham Pink? How Curing Changes Meat Color. Want to learn more about ham? No problem, I wrote down all my knowledge in my ham book.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete spicy dry cured ham recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Spicy Dry Cured Ham – What do you need to make it?
Ingredients per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| pork neck | 1,000 g | 100 % |
Spices per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| salt | 29.5 g |
| sugar mixture (50 % sugar / 50 % dextrose) | 3 g |
| sweet paprika powder | 3 g |
| ancho chili (slightly fruity) | 3 g |
| chipotle chili (slightly smoky) | 3 g |
| Cure #1 | 2.5 g |
| black pepper | 2.5 g |
| bird's eye chili (for the heat) | 2 g |
The equipment to make Spicy dry cured ham
For curing in a vacuum bag, you need a vacuum sealer. Dry curing without a vacuum bag is an alternative; see my guide to curing meat.
Place to dry and mature the ham
To age the ham, you need an environment where both humidity and temperature are relatively constant. There are several possibilities for this. I have already matured cured hams in the fridge or cellar without any problems.
Optional: If you want to be on the safe side, then a ripening cabinet is the best choice. My recommendation: Dry Ager DX 500
Butcher’s twine or a hook
To hang the cured piece in your curing space. I used a hook. You can also hang the piece on a string.
For my other recommendations, see my complete sausage-making equipment guide.
Spicy Dry Cured Ham – Step-By-Step Instructions
Weigh the meat and spices
Weigh the pork neck first and then the spices. The cure is calculated for the meat weight, so the whole weighed amount has to go into the bag later.
Mix the spices
Mix the salt, Cure #1, sugar mixture, pepper, paprika and the three chilies thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed. I use ancho for a slightly fruity note, chipotle for a slightly smoky one and bird’s eye chili for really good heat. Take the chilies you have. It’s a matter of taste!
Rub the meat
Put the spice mixture on the pork neck and rub the piece well from all sides.
Vacuum-seal and label
Put the meat into a vacuum bag. Important: All the spices have to go into the bag, including those that fall off while rubbing. That way nothing can go wrong while curing. Seal the bag twice and label it with the date, especially if you have several curing projects running at the same time.
Cure in the fridge
Put the bag in the fridge. Count on 1.5 days per centimeter of meat thickness. For my piece that was about 3 weeks. Longer is always okay, shorter is not. Afterwards the color has changed, liquid has come out and the piece is nicely cured through.
Pat dry and hang
Pat the piece dry on all sides. Then hang it on butcher’s twine or, like I do, on a hook.
Dry and mature
Let the ham dry and mature for several weeks at about 15 °C (59 °F) and 75 % humidity. Whether you like it firmer or still juicy decides when it comes out. Mine hung for about 7.5 weeks and had developed a really nice aroma by then.
Check the dry edge
On the outside you can see a slight dry edge. You can get rid of some of it if you vacuum-seal the ham afterwards and let it rest. It doesn’t bother me personally.
Your spicy dry cured ham is ready
The heat really comes through and the ham tastes rich and full. Your spicy dry cured ham is ready 🙂 Enjoy it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does spicy dry cured ham keep?
How long does spicy dry cured ham keep?
Once cut, your spicy dry cured ham keeps for about 1 week in the refrigerator. Vacuum-sealed, it keeps for 2 to 3 weeks.
How long does the ham have to cure?
How long does the ham have to cure?
Count on 1.5 days per centimeter of meat thickness. For my piece of pork neck that was about 3 weeks in the fridge. Longer is always okay, shorter is not.
At what temperature and humidity do I dry spicy dry cured ham?
At what temperature and humidity do I dry spicy dry cured ham?
I dry it at about 15 °C (59 °F) and 75 % humidity. Mine hung for about 7.5 weeks. Depending on how firm or juicy you like it, it can come out earlier or later.
My ham has a dry edge. What can I do?
My ham has a dry edge. What can I do?
You can get rid of some of a slight dry edge if you vacuum-seal the ham afterwards and let it rest. It doesn’t bother me personally.
Which chilies work for spicy ham?
Which chilies work for spicy ham?
Take the chilies you have. Per 1 kg of pork neck I mix 3 g ancho for a slightly fruity note, 3 g chipotle for a slightly smoky note and 2 g bird’s eye chili for really good heat.
