Smoked Ham

[kshotrod]

Hey, I'm going to try and smoke my first ham this weekend. Do you guys have any tips, injections etc. Friend of mine manages a meat plan, says he cant get any bone in ham's by this weekend but I can get a boneless so will probably go with that....

Thanks in advance guys.

[IamMadMan]

Are you talking a cured ham or a fresh ham???

The reddish pink meat we refer to as ham is a cured product that has to be brine-cured for up to two weeks.

A fresh ham is simply fresh pork and cooks somewhat like a whole shoulder.

If you are trying to smoke an already cured ham, then try this...

http://www.food.com/recipe/dr-chicke...77?oc=linkback

Dr. Chicken’s Double Smoked Ham

Ham should be a fully cooked or partially cooked ½ shank variety or can be shoulder variety (water added can be used, as long as the water added does not exceed 23% water added product.) If it is pre-smoked with hickory, that seems to work out best. Patti/Jean or Cooks among the best, but other varieties can be used!

Update: Use a full shank ham if you want. They work wonderful and they leave less good eatin' areas exposed to the heat to dry out. I've cooked up to a 26 lbs full shank ham. Absolutely one of the best too! An uncooked ham works well too. That way you don't have to limit yourself when choosing a ham.

Glazing Sauce:

½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup (use dark grade B real maple syrup if available)(dark grade B has more flavor than grade A)
¼ cup honey
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 – 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules (use a good brand because it makes a difference)
1 Tbsp dry ground mustard
2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate (a good brand provides better flavor)

Blend all ingredients in a sauce pan with a wire whip and heat slightly until everything combines into a viscous or thick looking sauce.

Directions:


Glaze Recipe: Blend all ingredients in a sauce pan with a wire whip and heat slightly until everything combines into a viscous or thick looking sauce.

Ham Cooking Recipe: This can be done on a grill over indirect heat or in a water smoker or other type of cooker, again over indirect heat or “low & slow” type cooking. Do not tent over ham if done on grill, water smoker or other cooker; as this prevents smoke from penetrating the ham.

Place chunks of mesquite, hickory or pecan in smoker 5 minutes before putting ham in the smoker. If even more smoke flavor is desired, place ham in freezer for 1 to 1 ½ hours prior to cooking to allow outer edges of ham to start to freeze. You don’t want the ham frozen hard.

If using a water smoker, fill water pan ¾ full with hot water and add 2 cups of orange, pineapple, or orange/pineapple mix, sweetened grapefruit or apple juice to the water. (all of them act as tenderizer as the steam penetrates the meat.).

With smoker temperature maintained at approx 225F, cook for 25 to 30 minutes per lb. until internal temp on the ham shows 135F-140°F After removing from the heat, wrap in foil and it will climb up to approx 145F internally. The ham will retain it moistness and the flavor will go thru out the ham this way.

Baste ham with glazing sauce every 10 to 15 minutes during the last hour of cooking time. Glazing compound will burn, so do not start glazing the ham until the internal temp of the ham reaches 120°.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/dr-chicke...77?oc=linkback


Cooking instructions for ceramic cooker cooking:

This can be done on a grill over indirect heat or in a water smoker or other type of cooker, again over indirect heat or “low & slow” type cooking. Do not tent over ham if done on grill, water smoker or other cooker; this would prevent smoke from penetrating the ham.

Place water soaked chunks of mesquite, hickory or pecan (we prefer the smoke of pecan over all the others) on coals 5 minutes before putting ham on cooker. This will allow the ham to obtain maximum smoke flavor during the second cook cycle. ( the first cook cycle is the cycle the processor uses.) If even more smoke flavor is desired, place ham in freezer for 1 to 1 ½ hours prior to cooking to allow outer edges of ham to start to freeze. Go easy on this procedure; you don’t want the ham frozen hard!

If using a water smoker, fill water pan ¾ full with hot water and add 2 cups of orange, pineapple, or orange/pineapple mix, sweetened grapefruit or apple juice to the water. (all of them act as tenderizer as the steam penetrates the meat.) (I use a ¾ full drip pan when cooking on the Eggs, filled with a 50:50 mix of water and orange juice.)

Again, cook for 25 to 30 minutes per lb. until internal temp on the ham shows 140°. A couple of books suggest 145° and 160° respectively. Shirley O. Corriher in her book “CookWise” suggests 140°. We found this to be exactly right. After removing from the Egg, it will climb up to 145° internally. The ham will retain it moistness and the flavor will go thru out the ham this way.

Update: Pull the ham from the cooker at 135° internal. Even if it is an "uncooked" ham. Jim Minion and I have been playing around on this issue. Both of us feel 135° internal is enough to carry the ham up to 145° internal while you let it rest wrapped in foil for an hour or so. I wrap the ham in a double wrap of heavy duty foil. That seals the juices inside (relatively speaking!) and keeps the ham from starting to dry out during the resting period. The 135° internal tempperature suggestion is right in line with Shirley O. Corriher and her book "CookWise". This is one gal that has her act together! It is a great reference book for a lot of things. Start your cooking process at 225° on the dome thermometer of your ceramic cooker. Then let it gradually creep up to 250° to 260°. The 275° suggested temp. is a mit too high, in my opinion and after cooking 50 to 60 of these over the last 3 or 4 years.

Baste ham with glazing sauce every 10 to 15 minutes during the last hour of cooking time. Glazing compound will burn, so do not start glazing the ham until the internal temp of the ham reaches 120°.

NOTE: The secret to this process is plenty of smoke and the real maple syrup and granular coffee crystals in the glazing sauce. Use a cheaper cut of ham like mentioned before, and people will think you bought an expensive ham that you had to “hock” your kids for! Yuk! Yuk! (see my pun there?) The glazing sauce will give the ham a fantastic taste, smell and color!

Update: Use the "Dr. Chicken's Sweet Kiss of Death" injectable marinade recipe to take the ham up 3 or 4 notches. I can't emphasize enough how much the injectable marinade adds to the finished product. You and your family will be in 7th heaven woofing it down. I'm including it in this e-mail.

If you start glazing the ham at 120° internal, you'll only have to apply the glaze twice. Do this 30 minutes apart. That way you won't lose a lot of cooking time trying to apply it every 15 minutes. 2 applications of the glaze will do a wonderful job if you make sure you get it into the cut areas.

NOTE: Don't use a spiral cut ham the first time out. They tend to dry out too easily! If you are forced to use one, use 1 & 1/2 X the "Sweet Kiss of Death" injectable marinade I suggest. That will prevent it from drying out during the cooking process. Also, be sure you keep your cooker down to that 260° as a maximum on the dome.

Someone on another forum suggested removing all the skin before cooking. DON'T!!!!! That's the easiest way to ruin the ham by drying it out.



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[93vpmod]

Dr. Pepper Ham-Whiskey Style

I did a fresh ham several months back based on this thread:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=59995

It turned out fantastic! Sorry, I can't find any pics. It was very nice, but not as beautiful as Whiskey's.

[loco_engr]

This one is pretty popular with Eggheads:

http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php...detail&id=1407

A Maple-Bourbon version

[Ron_L]

Those recipes are good but they are too sweet for me. I keep it simple and smoke hams Dog Style...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...93&postcount=5