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Smoking Fresh Ham?

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Kokeman
Kokeman Posts: 822
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am getting ready to smoke a ham that I have been wet curing for a week. What wood should I use. I have hickory, apple, cherry, plum, pecan, peach, and sassafras.
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    Maybe stike will jump in here. A week sounds short, especially if you did not inject the pickle. Plus there is some equalization time.

    I'm thinking it's 5 or 6 days per inch of thickness and a week or two of equalization....
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    So wet curing is a longer proces than dry? I have only done dry so far.
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  • davehemp
    davehemp Posts: 109
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    I defer to Stike for the curing info, but as regards the wood - I like a hickory/apple mix...mostly personal taste decision, though, I think...
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  • Kokeman
    Kokeman Posts: 822
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    This is the recipe I am using and it says a week.
    http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/tasso-ham/Detail.aspx
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    Oh no, dry curing is much longer as the cure has to come from the outside only. Plus if you age it, like a country ham.... add something like 4 or 5 months.

    A wet cure can be in solution, like you were brining... but it's common to also inject the same juice around the bone and into the flesh to speed up the cure time.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    FWIW, and nothing against Stike, but Thirdeye is as knowledgable about curing as anyone else on the Forum, IMO.
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    I'm confused, doesnt a butt cure in approx 1 week, dry cure time? Why would a ham take so much longer?
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    Oh, tasso ham. In that case you're good to go as it's really just a brine. I would still let that boy rest overnight in the fridge after rinsing. Letting the mobile juices settle down (equalize) is really an important step when brining and curing too.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    you no longer have a fresh ham. you have a cured ham ;)

    i'm doing one now... after injecting the pickle along the bone, i am still going a half a day per pound in the pickle.

    i have cold smoked mine in the past, about 12-14 hours going for color (which i have assumed equated to flavor), and then cooked it later (easter day). but it is standard to hot smoke to 145-150 internal. then to basically reheat the day you serve it (or you can eat it right then, too)

    you can smoke with anything, frankly. it's all good.

    hickory may be too much like (pork) barbecue, though. and oak is maybe too beefy.

    i would stick to maple, cherry, pecan especially.

    again, cold smoked fora later cook would be one way. hot-smoking it for a later reheat is more typical

    or straight off hot-smoke and eat it.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    Well, a butt can go as far as Buckboard bacon in 8 days or so. But curing a ham is a whole different thing because it's so much thicker and has a different bone structure, and fat content. Cured hams lean more toward a preservation cure, where as Buckboard is a flavor cure, and is closer to Canadian bacon.

    Think of it this way, Buckboard is more of a lite cure, a city ham is a medium cure, and a country ham is a heavy cure.

    I guess it's sort of like the term "smoking" we sometimes discuss here. Take smoked turkey for example, 90% of the folks here roast a turkey with smoke flavor, but just call it smoked turkey. They may use a brine, but not a curing brine combined with low pit temps. Same with "smoking some ribs" or "smoking brisket"... I use those terms myself, but those meats are really barbecued or flavor smoked as there is no curing involved. Well, until we smoke a cured (corned) beef, which is not called corned beef anymore. Hehehee.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    The interesting things about stike is that he understands the fundamentals as well as the limitations, and takes very hands on approach with proven methods. In other words he walks the walk. These things give him the confidence to experiment with success.

    Heck I've all but given up visiting with the Morton's food scientists... they know the product but are hesitant to help with changes or specific questions a guy is interested in.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    Kokeman: I beleive Pecan wood is the more 'traditional' finish for Tasso. How big is the shoulder? Good rule of thumb in curing big hunks of meat is 1 day per pound.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    you wanna inject to avoid "bone taint" too.

    never had it, but from what i hear, it ain't desirable anyway... i find injecting just assures a good even cure too.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    he's more so.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    that's all very nice, but you know when the going gets tough, i email you. :laugh:

    it's all good.

    wait til you see the two post i(with hope) will make in, oh, about a year or so :whistle:
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Kokeman
    Kokeman Posts: 822
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    It is six pounds. It was half of a bone in. I smoked it with pecan and apple chunks and it came out very good.
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