Meat products
salted and smoked pork ham
living tradition
Pork, salting, smoking, garlic, horseradish, festive cold table
Homemade smoked ham, Boiled smoked ham
What is rūkytas kumpis?
Rūkytas kumpis is a way of preserving pork ham: the meat is salted, seasoned, dried, and smoked.
It belongs to cold snack tables, holidays, and village meat preparation. Ham differs from lašiniai or bacon because the focus is a large, leaner piece of meat that needs longer and more even curing.
Ham in the pork preparation cycle
In traditional village cooking, pork was divided by cut and purpose: lašiniai for fat and snacks, sausages for using minced meat and intestines, and ham for a large, longer-aged piece of meat. According to the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, ham was first mentioned in 1503; in the medieval and early modern periods it could be part of a peasant's dues to a noble, peasants hung smoked hams in granaries, kept them in tubs in Žemaitija or troughs in Dzūkija, and for weddings ham could be baked inside a loaf of bread.
Salting removes some moisture and gives flavor, drying prepares the surface, and smoking adds smoke aroma and another layer of preservation. This allowed smoked ham to be stored and sliced when fresh meat was no longer available.
On the festive table, ham often moves from preserved product to representative food accent: sliced thinly cold or warmed and served with horseradish, mustard, potatoes, and sauerkraut.
Salting and smoking
Traditional ham is not merely a piece of meat touched by smoke. Before smoking it must be properly cured and dried.
When smoking at home, food safety, temperature, salt level, and storage conditions must be understood.
Serving
Cold ham is eaten with rye bread, horseradish, mustard, onions, or pickles.
Warm boiled or baked smoked ham goes well with potatoes and braised sauerkraut.
Recipe
How rūkytas kumpis is prepared
Smoking ham at home requires safe curing and a suitable smoker. For practical home serving, already smoked ham is often gently boiled or baked so it becomes softer.
Ingredients
- 1 kg smoked ham
- 1 onion
- 2 bay leaves
- A few peppercorns
- Horseradish or mustard for serving
Method
- If the ham is very salty, soak it in cold water.
- Place it in a pot with onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and cover with water.
- Simmer gently until the ham softens.
- Let it cool slightly in the broth, then slice.
- Serve with horseradish, mustard, potatoes, or cabbage.
Notes
If the ham is eaten cold, slice it very thinly.
