My Father's Ham

A Bulgarian home-style pork ham of ground and cubed meat, pressed and cured in the ham maker for a dense, deli-style slice.

Ingredients

Trim the meat of all membranes, sinews and cartilage, keeping it well chilled throughout — work with one portion while the rest stays in the fridge.
Grind one third of the meat as finely as possible (best done half-frozen through a chopper/blender). Cut the remaining two thirds into 1.5-2 cm cubes.
Combine both parts of the meat, add all the seasonings except the water, and knead well. Use a tool or a chilled spoon — never your hands — so you don't warm the meat.
Add the water in stages: once the meat absorbs one part, add the next, kneading until it is all taken up. Knead for 15-20 minutes in total.
Let the mixture rest in the fridge for about an hour, then pack it into the ham maker in stages, tamping with a chilled fork or spoon to compact it and force out the air.
Close the device as instructed and stand it on the lowest shelf of the fridge for at least 48 hours, so the mix takes on the seasoning and compresses under the spring.
To cook, stand the device in a pot of water reaching to one finger below its rim. Start it in cold water on the highest heat; when the water reaches 80 °C, lower the heat and hold 80-85 °C. Cook for the time given in your device's instructions.
Shock-chill, then rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours before slicing.