Dry curing a deer hindquarter

[Rather_B_Fishin]

Can you dry cure a deer ham, if so how long do you let it cure?

[teamfirstcast]

short answer is yes... but conditions and method must be strictly controlled. Most are salt cured for 30 days min at temps under 45deg. and very low humidity. Hard to do if you live anywhere near the coast unless you have a very controlled environment. To add safety and prevent spoiling, i would suggest injecting a brine (simmer mixture a while then cool completely!) of salt, sugar, pink cure, black pepper and garlic deep into the ham all around the bone. Then cover in non-iodized salt for 30 days, allowing for drainage, then wash in warm water thoroughly. Then cold smoke for a few hours, and hang another 30 days to dry. Keep all temps between 35-45 deg. until dried and cured. Similar to a fresh pork ham, except omitting the sugar cure as would be done for pork. Lots of info on the net to be found also.

[tkuehn5410]

Yes you can! I was going to tell you basically what firstcast did, but he did a much better job than I could ever have done. I've only done wet brines/injections on my self-cured hams and have beeen very pleased with the results, but I also lack the means to truly dry cure a ham.