Kim’s ‘Pig saver’ ham method

This method for making washed flour ham is a work-in-progress.

I initially hoped I could perfect this method myself; however, in writing this, I now believe this
method will be perfected by the contributions of many.

It is a method that results in ‘ham’ so close to the real thing - it could change the perspective of
many that would otherwise choose to have their ham slaughtered.

I strongly encourage members of this amazing group to follow this method – its not quick, its not
basic but the results are most truly delicious.

I am aware there are several VWG and NTW ham methods going around, but this method is
different because the primary focus is to achieve that unmistakable ham-like texture. Also, you will
NOT find a long list of artificial seasonings and other spices – instead, it relies on the infusion of salt
and natural smoke – much like a traditional ham would!

LET’S GO!

For this method I use the following ingredients:

• 2kg or 12 cups AP (10%) flour – only because its cheap and I like to experiment. Go ahead
and use the good stuff if you have it, it will most likely increase your gluten yield.
• ½ capful of vegan red food colouring, I use ‘Queen’ brand (Woollies, Australia)
• 1-1.5 teaspoons of garlic powder (optional)
• 6 cups of tap water (for initial ball)
• Vegan butter, I use Nuttlex olive spread
• 1 cup (maybe a bit more) sea salt in rock crystals. I use Saxa brand (Woollies, Australia)
• Hickory smoke pellets/wood chips

For this method I use the following utensils:

Large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, strainer/colander, large bowl for keeping starch water, plastic
cling wrap, regular sized bowl, Nutri-bullet/hand-held blender, Instapot/slow cooker, wooden
skewers, plastic container with lid, aluminium foil BBQ with lid/smoker.

Make the ball

Empty the 2kg flour into large mixing bowl. Add 1-1.5 teaspoons of garlic powder and mix well with
the dry flour. I only use the garlic powder to mask the very mild gluten taste of washed flour seitan,
if you cannot taste it (lucky you!) then leave it out. Yes, you can add too much garlic powder at this
stage (failed experiment). If you add too much garlic, or any other spice/flavour, it can interfere with
the gluten forming process during the self-lysing resting stage.
Add 6 cups (or thereabouts) cold tap water, ½ cap of red food dye and mix until you have a cohesive
ball with a consistency that it bounces back when gently pressed and not sticky to the touch. The ball
should be a pretty ‘hammy’ pink colour.

Fill bowl with cold water so the ball is completely covered. Leave to self-lyse for 3 hours. Feel free to
rest for shorter or longer (sometimes I leave overnight).

Once rested, pour out water and begin washing. Nothing new here: start with cold wash, alternate
with lukewarm wash. I keep the leftover starch water from the first 2 washes, so make sure you get
a good amount of starch from these first washes. I like to make sure I get a thick starch coating on
the back of my hand before I change water. Strain the starch water through a colander/strainer to
make sure no gluten is lost.

When the gluten is at the ‘Not Thoroughly Washed’ (NTW) stage, remove a third of the mass and put
aside. Continue to wash the remaining two-thirds until well washed. For reference, see the photo
below, the NTW ball has more unwashed starch pockets which act as fatty deposits in the final
product.

Then simply combine the two gluten masses. The thoroughly washed gluten will result in a good
chewy texture. The NTW will introduce texture variation and fatty deposits. This step is key for the
final texture of ham.
When combined, it should look something like this (above). I purposely keep the gluten stretched
apart to prevent it re-forming into a single mass. Let it rest for 15-20 mins.

Once rested add the gluten to a mixing bowl and introduce around ½ tbs of vegan butter. Using your
hands, gently massage the butter through the gluten, make sure the gluten strands remain separate.
As the butter becomes well mixed, separation of the individual strands becomes easier.

Hang the individual strands over the rim of mixing bowl, see above. This will help the gluten strands
to become stretched. Again, this stage will vastly improve the texture of your ham as it imitates the
long strand muscle fibres found in meat. At the beginning of this stage, the gluten will be quite
stretchy and bouncy and may slip off – PERSIST, its worth it! Rest the gluten like this for at least 30
minutes. After 30 minutes, the gluten should be much less stretchy and bouncy, as the strands have
tightened up somewhat.

As the gluten is resting, prepare the butter and starch water mix. I use about 800ml of starch water
and about ½ Tbs of vegan butter. Yes, it is possible to add too much butter at this stage (another
failed experiment) the solution becomes lumpy, and the gluten does not hold together well after
simmering. I use a Nutri-Bullet to blend, although a handheld stick blender would be as good. I have
experimented using liquid smoke (1 tsp) in this mix, and whilst not detrimental, it won’t add much
flavour to the final product.

Also, while gluten is resting, prepare bowl with cling wrap. The bowl will give the gluten ball shape
while simmering; it must be small enough to fit into your instapot/slow-cooker/simmer pan. I lay out
2 sheets of (plant based) cling film in a 90° cross pattern. Leave enough excess so the ball can be
wrapped tight.

Once rested, dip each of the gluten strands into the butter/starch solution until generously coated.
Lay out gluten strands in the plastic lined bowl, making sure they are placed in the same direction.
This stage will give the ham most ham-like texture. The gluten will have a firm but juicy texture. The
butter starch solution will act as a binding glue, but also keep the stands separated well enough to
mimic muscular fibres in meat. (**in my latest experiment, I have added a sprinkle of table salt to
each layer to impart more saltiness to the gluten, which may reduce the time resting in brine –
watch this space**.)

Once the gluten has been laid out, wrap the plastic film around the ball. It needs to be tight enough
so that it holds its shape when removed from the bowl. If it is not wrapped tight enough and starts
to leak out the sides, just add another layer of cling film. The final product should resemble to
following photo.

Prepare the simmer stock in the instapot/slow-cooker/ saucepan. Again, this stage is intentionally
simple with few ingredients. It is about cooking and binding the gluten so that it holds shape, rather
than adding flavour. In 2-3 litres of water, add ¼ cup of sea salt and ½ Tbs of liquid smoke (** In the
current experiment, I have omitted the liquid smoke, as I believe it did not add much flavour –
Watch this space**). Make sure the salt has been stirred so that it is completely dissolved, otherwise
it may not dissolve fully during cooking.

I use an ‘Instapot’ style cooker and use the slow cook function. Set timer for 2 hours. I have tried less
time 1 hr and 1.5 hrs, and I have found it is not enough time to bind the gluten strands properly. If
using the stovetop DO NOT BOIL!

Once cooked, remove and allow to cool at room temperature before unwrapping.

While cooling, prepare the brine solution. In a sealable plastic container, dissolve ½ cup of sea salt
OR just re-use the salty mix leftover from the simmer stage.

Unwrap cooled gluten, place in brine solution. Pierce the ball several times (20-30 will do) to allow
brine to penetrate. Make sure the ball is completely covered, then seal with lid. Store in fridge for at
least 2 days. **latest experiment, I am trying 3 days**.

After 2 days remove from the brine and rinse under the tap. Pat dry, then put into fridge for 1-2
hours to dry further. A taste test of the gluten at this stage should be quite salty.

Prepare the BBQ: Prepare coal fired grill as desired. Gas powered BBQ works fine too.

Prepare the wood chips pellets: wood chips must be soaked before use, otherwise will burn out too
fast. I used hickory pellets that don’t require soaking. Add pellets/chips to foil pouch and pierce
several holes to allow smoke to escape. Add pouch to BBQ and wait until it begins to smoke.
Add the brined gluten ball to the grill. I smoked for 1.5 hours, flipping halfway. ** I will experiment
with 2-3 hours next time**

Let cool (or not) then enjoy!

Future experiments:

• Flavour rubs before smoking

• Glazing while smoking
• Adding white fat layer after simmering
• Different wood chips/pellets/ combinations
• Different smoking brine/smoking times