Help Cooking a Raw Ham.

nucornhusker · Sep 14, 2011

I finally stumbled across fresh, uncooked ham shanks at the grocery store today and I have been wanting to smoke one badly! :becky:

My question is I don't know anything about smoking one. I've smoked plenty of pork shoulder/ribs/brisket/etc. but no ham. What temp should the ham be to be done right? Do you rub it? Brine it? Inject it? Foil it?

I know I could have at it and get a good result, but I would like any and all advice any of you can give.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!

-K

scp · Sep 14, 2011

If you have never had fresh ham...don't expect it to taste any thing like a smoked one. I have only had it cooked in the oven..it's flavor was more like a pork roast.

Now one cooked on a smoker..could be interesting...let us know.

deguerre · Sep 14, 2011

This is what Redhot and I did last year...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97424

Lake Dogs · Sep 14, 2011

It's HARD to find a good fresh ham 'round here, but I prefer it over smoking shoulders (not picnics, but whole shoulders).

I've always done them exactly like a butt/shoulder. I inject, rub, smoke for 4.5 hours at 250, foil and add juices to foil before closing up tight, then cook to 200 degress+-. It has a different taste than butts, but a wonderfully different taste, IMHO. It's NOTHING like a cured ham at all. It's like the ham portion of a smoked whole hog; which it is...

I can tell you that IF you fall asleep right after putting them on the smoker, and IF that smoker fire burns out, and IF you go look 8 hours later and the temperature of the smoker is 80 degrees, they're ruined. DO NOT take them inside and put them in the oven to try to recover. IF you do this you'll think you've got a decaying body in the house; fumigation is required. <--- Literally, this happened at my wedding.

deguerre · Sep 14, 2011

Lake Dogs said:
It's HARD to find a good fresh ham 'round here, but I prefer it over smoking shoulders (not picnics, but whole shoulders).

.

Check your stores over the holidays Hance. That's when I find them here.

nucornhusker · Sep 15, 2011

Well, I went ahead and started to cure the ham. I will smoke it either Sunday or Monday. If I remember, I will post pics.

I currently have Cherry wood I plan to smoke the ham with, but I am getting in touch with my wood supplier to see if I can get some Maple before the smoke instead.

Now...do I try to do pork rinds with the skin or not??:scared:

NorthwestBBQ · Sep 15, 2011

nucornhusker said:
If I remember, I will post pics.

If I remember, I will give advise. :doh:

deguerre · Sep 15, 2011

nucornhusker said:
Now...do I try to do pork rinds with the skin or not??:scared:

In a word...YES!

Cook · Sep 15, 2011

Oh...you're curing it. That will make a difference with the responses you get.

captndan · Sep 15, 2011

Depends on whether you want country ham or city ham. City ham is enhanced and country is not. You probably cannot duplicate the ham you buy in the store. Should be an interesting project.

nucornhusker · Sep 15, 2011

NorthwestBBQ said:
If I remember, I will give advise. :doh:

:thumb: If all goes well, I sure will.

nucornhusker · Sep 15, 2011

Cook said:
Oh...you're curing it. That will make a difference with the responses you get.

Honestly at the beginning of yesterday I had no idea. The responses I have got led me to find out about curing the ham, so that is what I did.

We will see what happens. What is the worst that can happen? I have a good time BBQ a piece of pork? :becky:

Lake Dogs · Sep 15, 2011

BBQ, a cured ham?

nucornhusker · Sep 15, 2011

Lake Dogs said:
BBQ, a cured ham?

As you can tell I really don't know what in the world I am doing with a ham. :icon_blush: :noidea: I am curing it, then I'll smoke it to 160 degrees and see what I get. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Chalk it up to experience.

Lake Dogs · Sep 15, 2011

It's ok. I completely ruined the two hams on my wedding day. We had hamburgers instead. Sadly I was already very accomplished at barbecuing fresh hams at that time, I just made a HUGE mistake and lost $120 of meat.

Best of luck with it! I hope it comes out great.

nucornhusker · Sep 15, 2011

I saw that up above. That couldn't have been fun.

If it doesn't turn out, I may just try it your way next time and treat it like a shoulder. I know I can do that well.

Lake Dogs · Sep 15, 2011

It's just plain old pulled pork (my way), but awesome. As they're thicker than shoulders or butts or picnics, they'll take longer to cook. It's been a while since I cooked some, but as I recall it took around 12 hours where a butt takes me 9 or 10.

mantequiya · Sep 15, 2011

I've done them Cuban style marinated in mojo cooked indirect on the kettle. Hot and fast gives you nice crispy skin. Not so sure it's a great cut for smoking.

Fishhook · Sep 15, 2011

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/cookboo...tegory=*BBQ BRETHREN SAUCES, RUBS, MARINADES*

Try this one ^ ever since I did people think I have an inside line to a higher power. And if you actually do tell them the name of the injection they won't believe you anyway :laugh:

nucornhusker · Sep 15, 2011

Thanks Fish. I will give that a try next time since I am already curing mine.

Did you smoke it skin on or skin off?

Help Cooking a Raw Ham.

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