A new tactic for selling my flour!
It’s been an unusual week. Mr M and I spent the weekend at the Allergy & Free From Show in Liverpool. It was lovely meeting new people, though sales fell short of my hopes.
On our way home on Sunday night we added a new family member—a tiny cockerpoo puppy called Minnie. Many of you have already seen photos on social media. I’d been persuading Mr M to get a dog for a while, and the timing finally worked out. Admittedly, arriving home with a puppy at 11pm after a long weekend of work wasn’t ideal, but we’re settling in nicely.
Earlier in the week I wrote a blog post introducing Minnie that briefly published and then disappeared, so I’ll reintroduce her properly soon.
On Tuesday afternoon I left Minnie and the children with my mum and stepdad and visited River Cottage for a Christmas feast with fellow bloggers, hosted by Foodies 100. It was a treat: imaginative, adapted dishes that were gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free, delightful company, and practical tips I can’t wait to share—especially about brining and curing meats.
I was surprised how straightforward it is to make your own ham without the additives and injections often found in shop-bought versions. Chef Andy demonstrated simple, effective methods for curing meats, including ham and venison bresaola, and showed how brining poultry results in exceptionally moist breast meat. He even used gin to flavour a turkey brine—an unusual twist that worked beautifully.
Delicious starter…beetroot hummus, roast beetroot, red onion, tahini dressing and leaves
As someone who values wholesome, natural food, the idea of making ham without preservatives, sulphites or added sugar is very appealing. Many readers are concerned about allergens and hidden ingredients, so I want to outline the method we were shown for making an allergen-friendly ham you can prepare at home.
Chef with ‘ham’ cut
Follow these steps to create a flavourful, allergen-friendly ham for the holidays:
- Source a good pork shoulder or pork handle (from the pig’s foreleg). Choose a high-quality, preferably organic joint for better flavour and nutrients. Ask your butcher to bone and tie it if needed. I plan to buy mine from Greendale Farm.
- Find a non-aluminium container large enough to hold the joint and brine. If your pot is aluminium, transfer the cooled brine to a plastic, earthenware tub, or a large food-safe bag to avoid metallic flavours.
- Prepare the brine: combine 1 litre apple juice, 1 litre cider, 2 litres water and 1 kg salt in the pot. If you are not avoiding sugar, you could add muscovado or treacle (around 1 kg). Add cracked black pepper, torn bay leaves and any herbs or spices you like—rosemary, thyme, chilli, etc.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the salt (and any sugar) has fully dissolved, then remove from heat.
- Allow the brine to cool completely before using.
- If needed, transfer the cooled brine to a non-aluminium container before adding the pork joint.
- Submerge the pork in the cold brine and leave to cure for three days per kilogram in a cool place such as a garage, larder or refrigerator.
- After curing, remove the joint, pat it completely dry, and leave uncovered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. Air-drying helps develop flavor and texture.
- When ready to cook, place the joint in a large pot of fresh water and bring to a boil. After about 15 minutes, taste the cooking water; if it’s overly salty, discard and start with fresh water.
- Simmer the meat for approximately 30 minutes per 450 g, adding optional aromatics like cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, onions and peppercorns to the water for extra flavour.
- For a glazed finish, follow a favourite glazing and roasting method. Glazing and baking after boiling adds caramelized flavour and an attractive presentation.
This method yields a simple, allergen-friendly ham suitable for many dietary needs. I’ll be making mine this year and would love to hear if you try it too.
I attended this River Cottage event thanks to Foodies 100. I was not required to give a favourable review, but I had a wonderful time.