Smoking Hams

Air dried cured meat and salami recipes

Smoking Hams

Postby Vindii » Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:01 pm

I posted this in the FAQ curing section but it said it needed to be approved by a mod. Not sure if it was because of that section or something else. Thought I would try it here.

The 2 hams I got from the hog I purchased are ready to cook. I've never cured and cooked a fresh ham before. I think I will hot smoke them. Im not sure what to season them with? Also not sure about how long they will take to cook and what temp to cook them at? I was thinking to smoke them at 350F. Would a lower temp be better? I used this guide to cure them.

viewtopic.php?t=4899

If I recall they were about 15lb each.

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby Mohalk » Mon Feb 18, 2013 7:23 pm

BBQ! If you're going to hot smoke go ahead and rub with any pork rub you like and maybe even take 4 of 5 cloves of garlic and split them and then stick into the meat. smoke them @ around 225F. It'll take 12 to 16 hours and you will have great pulled pork. Once cooked eat what you can and refrigerate the rest over night. This will make it easy to cut into dinner sized chunks to freeze for later. It freezes well and once thawed slice thin and heat in a pan with just enough water to make a little steam and some BBQ sauce, makes great sandwiches. Good Luck!

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby Vindii » Mon Feb 18, 2013 7:32 pm

I'm thinking your reply is based on them being fresh hams? These are now cured. Not sure you could still cook for pulled after they are cured? Either way looking to cook like a ham instead of BBQ pork.
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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby Mohalk » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:23 pm

Nope, being cured I wouldn't go the BBQ route. as for the cooking I would think 300 to 325F about 20 minutes per lb. should get you in the ball park. If I were doing this on a smoker I would have a pan of water under it for about 80% of the time to keep it from drying out.

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby wheels » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:32 pm

For this type of ham, I'd cold smoke it and cook as per the FAQ.

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby DiggingDogFarm » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:48 pm

What Phil said!
300+ degrees is way to hot for smoking ham.


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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby Vindii » Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:27 pm

I thought about boiling it like the directions say but I've never done that before. Do you just put it in a pan in water and put it in the oven? or do you do it on the stove top. Not sure I have a pan big enough to submerge the whole ham

Maybe I'll do one each way. If I hot smoke it you think a lower temp would be better? 225F ish? If I do one like this doe I need to soak it first? Will it be too salty if I don't?
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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby ComradeQ » Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:35 pm

With any cured hams I do I always soak for a few hours, changing the water every hour or so. I think it is very important as some cures can result in a very salty product that is near impossible to remove after they are cooked. Some people even suggest placing some sliced raw potatoes in the water as it helps to absorb the salt.

For smoking, I would recommend a hot smoke at about 220°f if you are planning to cook the ham. I prefer using a wood smoke with a rather strong taste, hickory usually, sometimes a hickory/apple wood mix. If you are serving it as a dinner ham you can glaze it with some brown sugar and honey towards the end if the cook. Sometimes I have cooked the ham, chilled it a few days, then reheat for dinner. I find a can of ginger ale, the ham studded with cloves, bake and baste and maybe 20° away from the correct I.T. you pour some honey over the ham. Continue glazing with reduced ginger ale and it will have a great glaze and moist ingerior. Something like this ...

I used a boneless butt on this pic to make a ham, it was delicious (I know it was not the ham cut but it tasted just like it just a little fattier)
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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby DiggingDogFarm » Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:40 am

I never soak.

If I do "hot" smoke, which is rarely, I smoke at 160-165F degrees until the ham hits 140F IT (Hold at 140F for 15 minutes). Chill.

If I cold smoke and then "steam", I "steam" on a rack in a covered roasting pan in a 160-165F degree oven until the IT reaches 140F degrees (Hold at 140F for 15 minutes). Chill.

The ham is heated to 155F IT before service.

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby wheels » Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:47 am

OK. Isn't there a saying that we're two Countries separated by a common language! This recipe was developed for a UK style cooked ham. Not a US style ham. We don't BBQ or smoke-cook them, as many are in the US.

Over here, we cold smoke our hams, and then cook them. That said, if you wan't to hot-smoke it, then that's fine by me also! I think I'd add a little more salt for that, though.

Don't soak it. If it doesn't say to do so in the instructions then it isn't necessary.

We don't pull these recipes out of a hat - they ain't online if they don't work!

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby Vindii » Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:22 am

wheels wrote:OK, isn't here a saying that: we're two Countries separated by a common language! This recipe was developed for a UK style cooked ham. Not a US style ham. We don't BBQ or smoke-cook them, as many are in the US.

Over here, we cold smoke our hams, and then cook them. That said, if you wan't to hot-smoke it, then that's fine by me also! I think I'd add a little more salt for that, though.

Don't soak it. If it doesn't say to do so in the instructions then it isn't necessary.

We don't pull these recipes out of a hat - they ain't online if they don't work!

Phil


No knock on the recipe Phil. Just asking question so I don't ruin these nice pieces of meat. I asked about soaking because the way the recipe recommended to cook it is in water. If water tastes salty after a while to change it. To me that a version of soaking. If I don't cook it in water that could be important.

Honestly I don't know the difference between a UK or a US ham. Or any other version for that matter. So me trying to tell you what I'm after is hard. I don't buy hams or cook them hardly ever. This just seemed like it would be fun to try. All I know at this point is that it needs to be cooked before I can eat it.

I'm going to hot smoke one at 225. My smoker won't really go less than that anyway. The other I will cook per the recipe. It will be fun to see how they come out.

Thanks for the help guys.
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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby wheels » Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:36 am

Damn! Now I've upset you. That's the last thing I was trying to do. The recipe's not mine, so it's no issue for me.

My reply was in response to:

ComradeQ wrote:With any cured hams I do I always soak for a few hours, changing the water every hour or so. I think it is very important as some cures can result in a very salty product that is near impossible to remove after they are cooked. Some people even suggest placing some sliced raw potatoes in the water as it helps to absorb the salt.


...if you hot smoke it, please let me know what it's like.

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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby ComradeQ » Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:53 am

Vindii wrote:
No knock on the recipe Phil. Just asking question so I don't ruin these nice pieces of meat. I asked about soaking because the way the recipe recommended to cook it is in water. If water tastes salty after a while to change it. To me that a version of soaking. If I don't cook it in water that could be important.

Honestly I don't know the difference between a UK or a US ham. Or any other version for that matter. So me trying to tell you what I'm after is hard. I don't buy hams or cook them hardly ever. This just seemed like it would be fun to try. All I know at this point is that it needs to be cooked before I can eat it.

I'm going to hot smoke one at 225. My smoker won't really go less than that anyway. The other I will cook per the recipe. It will be fun to see how they come out.

Thanks for the help guys.



Sorry, I only meant if you don't do the recipe the way it is suggested (replacing the water periodically as it simmers) then I think it may be salty. Not trying to push one way or another, I know we have differences here from across the pond. I was only suggesting IF you hot smoked it, you may want to soak since it isn't getting the water cook. I have cold smoked too and had a great product but wheels is right, we tend to hot smoke hams here.
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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby Oddwookiee » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:40 pm

I'll throw my hat in the ring for giggles, and add a bit more data for you. All the hams I prepare for custom slaughtered hogs I brine pump then rub with a curing salt & sugar mixture then let sit in barrels for as few days to completely cure. Then it's smoked at 100F air temp under a hard smoke for color (usually 3-5 hours depending on load), then the house is turned up to 200F, still continuing to smoke, until internal temp of 140 is reached (usually 8-12 hours, depending on how big of a load it is). The hams will grab another 5 degrees or so on their own after that. Its fully cooked, not salty at all, and ready to eat- I tell customers 10 minutes per lb at 300-325F covered to warm without drying it out.

Granted, I'm doing other things during the day, so sometimes hams get smoked a little harder then other times, or maybe I can't shut the smokehouse off until 143 or so.....there's a lot of wiggle room past minimum safety requirements.
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Re: Smoking Hams

Postby DiggingDogFarm » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:48 pm

Is there such a thing as an American ham?
If there is, it's news to me.
There are so many different styles and ways to prepare ham.
Even country ham is prepared in different ways.


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