Easter smoked ham

Meat Man

New member
If your are going to try and cure a ham for Easter you'd better hurry, it's takes a while for them to cure. We like to do what's called a double smoke ham. We take a really good high quality ham and put another smoke on it. They turn out fantastic. Look for a natural juice ham, they usually have less than 15% water.
 

TentHunter

Moderator
If you're planning to cure your own ham, there's still time, but like Will said, you do need to get moving on it.

It will take 3 - 5 days to cure following this method: http://www.pelletsmoking.com/searching-cure-26/ham-brining-101-bacon-6993/

I plan on doing one this week myself.



If what your planning to do is buy an already cured ham from the grocery store, then you can simply roast it low & slow in the smoker at 225° - 250° to a final internal temp of about 160° - 165°, and start glazing around 145°. It will have a great smoky flavor.

Section 5 of the tutorial gives some glaze ideas. If you're looking for a glaze that's different, try either honey or Maple syrup with cayenne pepper added. The play between heat & sweet is phenomenal as a glaze.
 
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Caldera

New member
Okay this may seem like a silly question, but... I know from buying a ham at the grocery you can get them raw, or pre-cooked. When you say "already cured ham from the grocery store" do you mean the pre-cooked ones?
 

flypig

New member
Tent is most likely referencing cured uncooked given his temperatures. A cured cooked ham only needs to be heated to 140 to heat through and then serve. If you do 160° - 165° on a pre cooked ham it will likely be a bit dry.
 

TentHunter

Moderator
Caldera said:
Okay this may seem like a silly question, but... I know from buying a ham at the grocery you can get them raw, or pre-cooked. When you say "already cured ham from the grocery store" do you mean the pre-cooked ones?

Yes, I was referring to pre-cooked/smoked hams. They are often labeled as "Fully Cooked" ("Fresh" hams have been neither cured nor cooked/smoked).

Since they're considered fully cooked, you don't have to heat them at all, but if you want the center to be hot when served, then you want to shoot for around 160°, which is a commonly recommended temp to cook hams to. And since these "Fully Cooked" hams are only taken to about 152° at the factory, they can take the temps I mentioned above without drying out.


I start glazing around 145° (the glaze helps seal in the moisture) and usually pull it off around 155° - 160° (depending on how the glaze looks), then rest for at least 30 minutes (don't skip the 30 min. rest), so the final I.T. is around 160° - 165°.

They are moist, smoky & delicious every time.
 
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Caldera

New member
Thanks Tent!

My sister wanted me to try out a smoked ham for Easter to which I declined! I'm still new enough that I didn't want a holiday dinner to depend on still newbie skills! LOL...now then since these hams are currently on sale I intend to buy one or two and throw them in the freezer. I think in a few months they will make a prefectly good 'random Sunday' dinner without having to heat up the house!
 

brothercooker

New member
Does anyone have some recipes for smoked ham?

thanks
sandy

This is the recipe that we had this easter sunday, I just followed through it.

smokedholidayham.jpg


Recipe here
 
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