In this post, you’ll learn how to make your own Nussschinken. With just a little effort, you’ll achieve a delicious result.
Nussschinken is a classic among raw hams and stands out for its clean, balanced flavor. Lean meat, a simple seasoning of salt and pepper, and a subtle smoky note create a harmonious aroma without being overpowering. Whether as a snack, sliced paper-thin, or on its own, your homemade Nussschinken is always a hit.
If you enjoy smoking or curing meat, you will also find other recipes from me, such as whisky ham, pork tenderloin and smoked ham recipes.
Want to learn more about ham? No problem, I wrote down all my knowledge in my ham book. Interested? Then click here.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete Nussschinken recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Table of Contents
Nussschinken – 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
- 100% pork flank (1000g)
Spices per KG mass
- 29.5 g salt
- 2.5 g Cure #1
- 3g sugar mixture (1.5g dextrose, 1.5g sugar)
- 2.5 g black pepper
The equipment to make Nussschinken
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
For the stress-free “curing in vacuum” method you need a vacuumizer. If you don’t have one yet, you can check out my recommendation here.
Alternative: “Real dry curing” doesn’t require a vacuum sealer, read my article on the subject of curing.
Smoker oven
You need the smoker to smoke your Nussschinken.
Smoking auger and smoking flour
The smoking auger burns for approx. 12 hours. This saves you having to constantly refill the smoking flour.
Nussschinken – Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to prepare your Nussschinken to perfection.
1. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the piece of meat and distribute the spices evenly on all sides of the meat.
2. Place the pork in a bag. Make sure all the spices end up in the bag.
3. Vacuum-seal the meat.
4. Place the bag in the refrigerator for the minimum curing time (1.5 days per centimeter of meat thickness). Turn the bag occasionally. You can cure your meat longer, but not shorter. My piece took about 2 weeks.
5. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. I also remove most of the spices. This reduces the risk of your Nussschinken developing mold.
6. Next, insert a hook into the cured piece of meat. This will make it easier to hang it up later. Alternatively, you can tie the Nussschinken with kitchen twine and hang it up that way.
7. Now hang the Nussschinken in the refrigerator/cellar/curing cabinet to dry. It is important that the humidity is 75–80% and the temperature remains below 15°C (59.0°F). My piece took about 5 days, since I also cold-smoked the pork nut.
Important: The better you can control the humidity, the more evenly the Nussschinken will dry. If it dries too quickly, this can result in a dry edge.
Book recommendation: The Full Guide On Making Dry Cured & Cooked Ham Easily At Home – Step-by-step instructions & 28 delicious recipes
8. Now hang the Nussschinken in the smoker and cold-smoke it. I did this in three rounds. That means 8 hours of smoking followed by 8 hours without smoke. Ideally, the temperature should be between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius (59.0 °F – 68.0°F) .
9. Optional: Hang the Nussschinken in the refrigerator, cellar, or aging cabinet to finish aging. This allows more flavor to develop. I let my piece age for about 3 weeks.
10. Your Nussschinken is ready. Enjoy! 😄
Frequently asked questions
What is the shelf life of your Nussschinken?
Your Nussschinken will keep for about a week in the fridge. The alternative is to vacuum-seal the Nussschinken in portions. It should keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge once vacuum-sealed. You can also freeze it. This increases the shelf life many times over.
How can I tell when the Nussschinken is ready?
It should be firm and dry, but not rock hard. It should barely yield to light pressure from your finger.
How long does it take for the Nussschinken to mature?
Depending on its size and the air temperature, approx. 6–12 weeks, sometimes longer.
At what temperature and humidity should I dry my Nussschinken?
The ideal temperature is 12–15 °C (59.0 °F – 68.0°F) with a humidity of around 70–80%. It is important to ensure good air circulation and to check regularly for mold.
Can I freeze my Nussschinken?
Yes, you can—it is best to cut it into thin slices and freeze it in portions. When thawing, store it slowly in the refrigerator.
How many smoking cycles are necessary?
Three to five smoking cycles are standard, with rest periods in between. This allows you to control the flavor and intensity well.
What is the significance of Dextrose? can it be replaced by just sugar?