Wild boar cured ham – a delicious specialty to enjoy at home
- Type
- Ham
- Level
- Medium
- Rating
- Rate this recipe
In this article, you will learn how to make your own wild boar cured ham. With a moderate amount of effort, you can achieve a super tasty result.
Wild boar cured ham is a delicious game specialty made from wild boar and a great change from classic ham. Curing and drying gives it a unique aroma.
It tastes best on freshly baked bread, but is also excellent on a snack platter.
If you are looking for more great ham recipes, I have my whisky ham, pork tenderloin or smoked ham recipe for you here.
Want to learn more about ham? No problem, I wrote down all my knowledge in my ham book. Interested? Explore my ham book.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete wild boar cured ham recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Table of Contents
Wild boar cured ham – 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 |
|---|---|---|
| wild boar meat Important: The piece of meat must be neatly trimmed and have no pockets! | 1,000 g | 100 % |
Spices per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| salt | 29.5 g |
| fresh rosemary | 4 g |
| fresh thyme | 3 g |
| black pepper | 3 g |
| sugar mixture (1.5 g dextrose, 1.5 g sugar) | 3 g |
| Cure #1 | 2.5 g |
| garlic powder | 1 g |
| bay leaves | 0.5 g |
The equipment to make wild boar 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.
Spice grinder or mortar
Freshly ground spices taste best. Use a spice grinder or a mortar, and grind the spices completely. Ready-ground spices also work.
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
Wild boar cured ham – Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to prepare your wild boar cured ham to perfection.
Coarsely grind all the spices in a mortar. You can also use a spice grinder for this.
Pour the spice mixture over the piece of meat and distribute the spices evenly on all sides of the piece of meat.
Place the wild boar cured ham in a bag. Make sure that all the spices end up in the bag.
Vacuum seal the meat.
Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 days per cm of meat thickness. Turn it occasionally. Longer is fine; shorter is not. My pieces took about 10 to 12 days. After curing, the meat is firmer and noticeably redder.
Now pat the meat dry with a kitchen towel. I also remove most of the spices. This reduces the risk of your wild boar cured ham going moldy.
Then insert a hook into the cured piece of meat. This will make it easier for you to hang it up afterwards. Alternatively, you can also tie the wild boar cured ham with kitchen twine and hang it up.
Hang the ham to dry in the refrigerator, cellar or curing chamber. Important: humidity should be about 75 % and temperature below 15 °C. Humidity matters especially with wild game: wild boar has less fat than domestic pork and dries out more quickly.
My piece took about 4 to 6 weeks. Longer maturation gives a more intense flavor and firmer ham.
Tip: if it dries too quickly and a dry rim forms, vacuum seal it again and leave it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. This redistributes the moisture.
Your wild boar cured ham is ready. Enjoy the taste.😄
Frequently asked questions
How long does wild boar ham keep?
How long does wild boar ham keep?
Once cut, your wild boar ham keeps for about one week in the refrigerator. Vacuum sealed, it keeps for 2 to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it in portions to keep it much longer. Whole and uncut in the curing chamber, it keeps for several months at stable humidity.
Which cut of wild boar is best for ham?
Which cut of wild boar is best for ham?
The leg is best, especially the topside or silverside, because they have little sinew and are lean. You can also use the knuckle or loin. Trim the piece cleanly and make sure it has no pockets so the cure can penetrate evenly.
How long does wild boar ham take to mature?
How long does wild boar ham take to mature?
Depending on size and conditions, about 4 to 12 weeks. My piece was well matured after about 4 weeks, still had good moisture and already tasted intense. Longer maturation makes it firmer and more aromatic.
Can you smoke wild boar ham?
Can you smoke wild boar ham?
Yes, wild boar ham is excellent cold smoked. Hang the cured and dried ham in the smoker at 15 to 20 °C (59–68 °F) and smoke it with a cold smoke generator over several cycles. The number of cycles is a matter of taste. I prefer it unsmoked because the herbs and game flavor come through more clearly. Try it yourself.
