1 day for every 900g(2 pounds)
THE BRINE The meat must be made to take up salt, spices and a cure to provide the characteristics we call ham. In addition to the salt, sugar and spices, the brine contains what is known as a cure. The cure is what gives ham it's pleasing pink colour in addition to protection from botulism and other pathogenic organisms. The brine is mixed in a plastic or stainless bucket large enough to hold the brine and meat. The following one gallon batch will do about 10 lbs of meat.
Brine Recipe
Water...................................1 gallon
Pickling Salt.......................1 cup
Sugar....................................1/4 cup
Prague #1 (Cure)...............1/3 cup
Pickling Spice.....................1 tsp
Cloves...................................1/2 tsp
Bring the brine to the boil and then the brine should be cooled to around 40F before the meat is placed in it. It should also be kept near that temperature during the brining period so that is another reason to make small hams. Do not let it get below about 38F though because the cure ceases to function around there. Monitor the brine temp with a thermometer and just remove it for a while if it gets too cold.
The brining time is mainly a question of personal taste. The longer it stays in the brine, the saltier it gets. I find 4 days about right for a 3-5 lb piece of loin. You can speed things up by pumping brine into the meat with a syringe but that is probably overkill for small pieces.
COOKING For a garden variety "boiled ham", the meat is removed from the brine, rinsed off and placed in water at 170F. It is held there until the internal temperature reaches 155F on a meat thermometer. This will take about an hour for a 3 lb piece. After cooking, the ham is chilled in cold water for about 30 minutes and then put in the fridge overnight. Next day you will think you just returned from the deli.
Keeping All of these hams must be kept in the fridge and treated like you would any cooked ham. They will keep for a few weeks... not months or years like "country cured" hams.