Ingredients:

3/4 oz (20 g) salt

5 cups beer

10-12 lb. (5-6 kg) pork leg

3 tablespoons pimento(allspice), crushed

1 cup molasses

1 small piece of ginger

Directions:

1. Put the first five ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Wipe the leg of pork clean with a cloth dipped in vinegar, pour over the cool liquid, and refrigerate.

2. The curing time will be 2 days per 1 lb (500 g) of meat. Turn the meat every other day so that each side is well saturated with the brine.

3. If the ham is to be smoked, remove it from the brine, wipe it dry and weigh it. To smoke, hang it near a hardwood fire or in a smoke box, which should not generate heat higher than 75-85° F, 24-29° C. Twenty-four hours of continuous smoking should produce a 25 per cent weight loss, which indicates that smoking is complete.

Bon Appetit!