Kassler Kamm Recipe – Smoked Pork Neck
- Type
- Ham
- Level
- Medium
- Rating
- Rate this recipe
In this article, you will learn how to make a Kassler comb yourself. With a moderate amount of effort, you can achieve a super tasty result.
The smoked pork neck impresses with its intense smoky flavor and juicy consistency. The pork neck is wet-cured before smoking.
The finished Kassler Kamm can be served warm or cold, either in thick slices with sauerkraut or wafer-thin on delicious bread.
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Here you can find the complete kassler kamm recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Table of Contents
Kassler Kamm – What do you need to make it?
The perfect ingredients and a little patience are all you need to prepare this tasty treat in no time at all.
Ingredients per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| boneless pork neck | 1,000 g | 100 % |
Spices per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| brine | |
| salt | 110.5 g |
| sugar | 20 g |
| Cure #1 | 9.5 g |
| garlic granules | 2.5 g |
| black pepper | 2 g |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| water | 1 liter |
In the end, you will need approx. 20-30% of the meat weight from the brine (so if your smoked pork is 1.5 kg -> you will need a maximum of 500 ml brine). You can either cook 1 liter and then only use as much as you need or reduce the recipe.
The equipment to make kassler kamm
Injection Needle + Syringe
In order to inject the brine into the meat (the process ensures that the meat remains juicy), you will need a roasting syringe. If you don’t have one yet, you can buy one inexpensively.
Smoker
You will need the smoker to smoke your kassler kamm
Make kassler kamm – Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these steps carefully to make a perfect Kassler Kamm
Put all the spices in a saucepan with the water and bring the brine to the boil briefly. Leave to infuse for 20-30 minutes and then leave to cool.
When the brine is cold, you can pour it through a sieve so that you don’t have any pieces in the brine. Optionally also through a kitchen towel.
Now inject 20 – 25 % brine into the pork neck using a syringe. You can stop as soon as you notice that the brine is leaking out more and more. My tip: Weigh the pork neck for this. This will give you a good overview.
Then place the pork neck with the remaining brine in a resealable bag.
Now squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Try not to squeeze the pork neck too much (otherwise the brine will leak out again). You can then seal the bag.
The pork neck must now be cured in the fridge for at least 4 days (if you have a larger piece, you will need to cure it for longer). Important: Turn the pork neck every day so that the brine can penetrate from all sides and spread well.
Pat the meat dry with a kitchen towel. Then insert a hook into the piece of cured meat. This will make it easier to hang up afterwards. Alternatively, you can also hang the pork neck with kitchen twine.
Hang your pork neck in the smoker and dry it for approx. 30 minutes at 50 °C (122 °F) without smoke.
After 30 minutes, increase the temperature to 77 °C (170.6 °F) and continue smoking the pork neck until it has reached a core temperature of approx. 67 °C. How long you want to smoke depends on your preferences. For me, 2 hours has proven to be excellent. If you prefer a less smoky flavor, I recommend vacuum-sealing the meat and cooking it sous vide at 67 °C.
Your Kassler Kamm is read. Enjoy the taste.😄
Frequently asked questions
Why is Kassler Kamm brined rather than dry cured?
Why is Kassler Kamm brined rather than dry cured?
Because a pork neck is thick and marbled, and a dry cure would need weeks to reach the middle of it. A brine works from the outside and the inside at once: the syringe in step 3 puts it into the centre of the cut straight away, and the rest of the meat draws it in from the bag over the days that follow. That is what the answer below means when it says the syringe only shortens the curing time rather than changing the result.
The cut is the other half of it. The neck carries more fat and more marbling than the loin a classic Kassler is cut from, and the brine keeps all of that moist through the smoke, so the finished Kamm stays juicy where a leaner Kassler turns firm. The FAQ below draws that difference from the other side, between the cuts; this is the same difference read from the cure.
How long is the shelf life of the kassler kamm ?
How long is the shelf life of the kassler kamm ?
Your kassler kamm will keep for about a week in the fridge. The alternative is to vacuum-seal the pork neck in portions. It should keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge if vacuum-sealed. You can also freeze it. This increases the shelf life many times over.
Do I really need a syringe?
Do I really need a syringe?
No! The syringe only shortens the curing time, as the brine is injected directly into the meat; without a syringe, curing simply takes a little longer – about 1.5 weeks – and you can simply skip step 3 (injecting the brine) and your Kassler Kamm will still turn out perfectly.
What is Kassler Kamm?
What is Kassler Kamm?
Kassler rump is a cured pork rump (i.e. pork neck).
What is the difference between Kassler and Kassler Kamm?
What is the difference between Kassler and Kassler Kamm?
Kassler is a generic term for cured and usually smoked pork. Various cuts are used, e.g. back (Kassler chop or salmon), belly or neck (Kassler rump).
Kassler Kamm comes from the neck and is particularly juicy and aromatic due to its higher fat content. In comparison, Kassler chops or salmon are leaner and more firm.
Do you have to smoke Kassler Kamm?
Do you have to smoke Kassler Kamm?
No, this is optional. Unsmoked it remains milder, smoked it gets the typical Kassler aroma.
