Brine

Great to make a silky-textured ham!
Put all of these ingredients in a large saucepan or stock pot:

• 7.5 pints water
• 1 1/2 cups honey, molasses or sugar (your preference)
• 4 tbsp. sea salt
• 10 coriander seed
• 10 peppercorns
• 10 juniper berries (if you can find them, if not, don’t worry)
• 5 bay leaves
• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Whatever other fresh or dried herbs you want to try (ideas: ginger root, dried hot peppers, sage, basil, rosemary, etc.)

Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally until salt and honey are dissolved. Cool the mixture. Put the meat to be brined into a large non-metallic container. Pour the brine mixture over the meat, covering it. Cover the container and keep it in a cool place or refrigerator for 3-4 days (longer for huge hunks of meat). After 3 days, remove the meat, rinse it off and dry. Rub the meat with olive oil and bake in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour per pound. Cook the meat covered for the bulk of the cooking time, then uncover for the last 30 minutes to crisp up the fat.