Ham working principle

Today, almost all meat products presented on the shelves contain dyes, nitrates, phosphates, transglutaminases and other “chemicals”. None of these supplements has any benefits for the body, but what if you can’t buy products without them in the store? Of course, cook a delicious and healthy home-made ham or sausage!

What is ham

Ham hammers came to the Russian market more than five years ago, but many housewives still do not suspect their existence. This is a big omission. After all, with the help of this simple device you can cook not only ham, but also rolls, sausages, boiled pork, as well as all kinds of delicacies from poultry, meat or fish. Ham is good in every sense: all its components are well tolerated by washing in a dishwasher, it is compact, and the price can pleasantly surprise you.

Device

The design of ham is unusually simple. It is a mold, which is most often made of stainless steel or food grade plastic. Traditionally, the height of the device is 16-17 cm, and the width is 10-11 cm.

The press is driven by two powerful springs that are attached to the upper and lower cover of the unit. These covers can be easily pulled out and inserted back.

The space in the ham is divided into three levels. The less its filling with products, the higher the level is worth choosing. The top cover must be set to the highest possible position. Then the pressure of the springs will be stronger and the ham will compress much better.

REFERENCE! Most ham makers work the same way. However, manufacturers, struggling for the attention of the buyer, are increasingly modifying their products, adding new features.

There are hams equipped with:

• a thermometer;
• stationary bottom;
• lift mechanism to simplify the removal of the finished product;
• the only spring that facilitates locking the device.

It is worth noting that all these modifications, although they significantly simplify the cooking process, do not affect the taste of the final product.

Principle of operation

The principle of preparation is based on the thermal processing of products with simultaneous compression inside the mold. Because ham is often used with a slow cooker, as it makes it easier to maintain the right temperature for a long time. However, you can cook ham and other goodies in the oven or in a conventional pan.

Despite the apparent simplicity, cooking meat products in ham has its own nuances. Natural, and most importantly, high-quality products are not cheap. Therefore, in order not to waste them, it is worth following the following principles:

1. Before filling the ham, you should put a baking bag in it. Foil or culinary sleeve is also suitable.
2. To make the ham even tastier, the meat is pre-marinated and beaten.
3. Do not regret the products. Ham must be filled denser, so the finished product will not crumble when sliced.
4. The minimum cooking time for ham is 3 hours. The meat should slowly languish in its own juice at 70-80 degrees. The longer it takes to cook, the tastier the result.
5. The finished product should be cooled by placing ham in cold water. After cooling, let the ham brew. To do this, they put it in the refrigerator for 9-12 hours.

IMPORTANT!The meat must not be allowed to boil. It must exactly languish.

What can be cooked with ham

Despite the speaking name, not only ham is prepared in ham. The variety of meat dishes available for cooking is simply huge, and finding the right recipe will not be difficult.

Experienced housewives boldly improvise, mixing several types of meat and adding a variety of seasonings and fillers. Especially popular are eggs, mushrooms, herbs and all kinds of spices. Often ham is stuffed with prunes or olives.

However, before starting experiments with seasonings, it is worth mastering the basics of preparation, which will become the basis for future culinary masterpieces.

Traditional recipe

In order to cook traditional ham in ham, the following ingredients are needed:

• lump of pork - 900 grams;
• ground beef - 200 grams;
• egg - 2 pcs.;
• milk powder - 15 grams;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

IMPORTANT!In order to achieve a true "ham" taste, ordinary salt should be mixed with nitrate in a ratio of 50:50.

Cooking:

1. The meat should be washed, cut and put in a bowl.
2. Add finely chopped garlic, egg, and other ingredients to the list. Mix well.
3. Put everything in ham, previously covering it with a baking sleeve. This will help preserve meat juice and make the finished product more juicy and aromatic.
4. Place the unit in the oven for 3 hours.
5. After this time the ham should be taken out, cooled, and then put in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

Homemade ham according to the classic recipe is ready!

Classic ham sausage recipe

To prepare homemade sausage, you will need the following ingredients:

• minced pork - 1 kg;
• ground beef - 400 grams;
• garlic - 4 cloves;
• nutmeg, salt to taste.

Cooking:

1. Chill the minced meat and then mix all the ingredients in a deep bowl.
2. In a ham, put a bag for baking. Fill it with the resulting mixture.
3. Carefully close the unit strictly according to the instructions and put it in the refrigerator for a day.
4. Before cooking, take out the sausage and allow it to warm at room temperature.
5. You can cook it anywhere, it is only important to observe the temperature regime - 70-75 degrees.
6. Cooking time - 3 hours.
7. The finished product should be cooled and again put in the refrigerator for 9 hours.

Homemade sausage is ready! It can be stored in foil or parchment.