Salt Stage

• Preparing a country ham takes time. According to inthekitchenonline.com, the process can take as long as several months to complete. Prior to curing the ham, you or your butcher must choose the meat from a pig that will become your country ham. Typical cuts include shoulder or upper thigh meat. Once the meat has been cut and cleaned, the ham is coated in salt. Other spices may also be added; these combinations are often kept secret. If you are curing your own ham, think about using sugars, paprika, peppers or a commercial pork rub to add to the salt. Once the ham has been properly spiced, it is packed in salt and stored in an area with good air circulation.
  
  

Post-Salt Stage

• After salting the ham and storing it, wait at least 60 days. According to countryhams.com, it takes 60 days for salt to penetrate the ham and make it food-safe (the curing process removes moisture and thereby prevents micro-organisms from infecting the meat). After the salt stage, wrap the ham in a cheesecloth and hang it in an area where you can place a small smoker. Smoking the ham after the salt stage produces unique flavors in the ham; consider different smoking woods such as apple, hickory or mesquite. After several weeks of smoking the ham, you can store the ham in a cool dark place and age it further (from months to even years) or eat it right away.