Whether To Smoke Fresh Ham or Cooked Cured Ham for Easter

Ladeback69

Ok, last year I cured a fresh  ham and smoked it and I took it to 165 and it was dry.  This year I am trying to decide whether to smoke a fresh ham (don't have time to cure it) or just smoke cured cooked ham.  Also I have read that a fresh ham should be cooked to 165, but I think it will be dry and 145 is good enough, any thoughts?  Or I could just get a cooked cured ham and smoke it to 145 and be done

Thoughts?

Teefus

I'm hard pressed to improve on a good smoke cured ham. This year it's just SWMBO and I for Easter, so we grabbed a spiral sliced ham and will bake it/glaze it on the BGE. 

SmokeyPitt

A smoked fresh ham that hasn't been cured might be a little plain tasting. I would go with a cured ham.  My SAMs carries Smithfield smokehouse reserve and we really like them. I have double smoked a couple of those. 

jwc6160

My local butcher has lightly smoked hams that always come out great when I do them. Put on a paste, inject with maple, and smoke to about 140 with some applewood. It's always fantastic. 

Webass

Here's my holiday ham recipe.  The family likes it as well as Honey Baked and the cost is about 1/4 of HB. I don't use any wood, just the lump but if your tastes lean toward more smoke I'd think any fruit wood would work well. 

GLAZED HAM

·        2 cups brown sugar

·        1 cup Dijon mustard

·        ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

·        ½ tsp black pepper

·        Precooked, unglazed, spiral cut, bone-in ham

 Place ham in roasting pan and sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes. 

 Combine all other ingredients.

Preheat oven or grill to 325 degrees.  If cooking on grill, setup for indirect. 

Cook foil covered ham for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and brush with ½ the brown sugar mixture.  Continue baking uncovered and baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.  After 30 minutes brush ham with remaining brown sugar mixture and cook an additional 15 minutes.  Remove and let rest for 30 minutes.  

Ladeback69

SmokeyPitt said: by

A smoked fresh ham that hasn't been cured might be a little plain tasting. I would go with a cured ham.  My SAMs carries Smithfield smokehouse reserve and we really like them. I have double smoked a couple of those. 


I have seen that online and it is a spiral cut ham,. So do smoke it slow like 225-250 till it reaches 145 or at 350 to warm it up.  I am thinking L&S with a glass of some kind with brown sugar, bourbon and honey.

gdenby

I did a fresh ham a few years ago. I got it thru a local butcher, who got it from a local farm, so it really was fresh. It was a Duroc hog. I believe I brined it for about 35 hrs, then did light smoke to an internal of about 150-155. Still a little pink.

It was well received, tho' a few were a touch nervous about the pink blush. Fairly tender, w. a hint of smoke and somewhat sweet. Not quite as tender as a loin, but more flavor. Served it w. some homemade apple sauce.

Modern pork production is safe enough that one could eat raw pork without hazard. But my slight experience is that I don't like the texture until the temp is above 145. Maybe its just from habit.

Ladeback69

gdenby said:

I did a fresh ham a few years ago. I got it thru a local butcher, who got it from a local farm, so it really was fresh. It was a Duroc hog. I believe I brined it for about 35 hrs, then did light smoke to an internal of about 150-155. Still a little pink.

It was well received, tho' a few were a touch nervous about the pink blush. Fairly tender, w. a hint of smoke and somewhat sweet. Not quite as tender as a loin, but more flavor. Served it w. some homemade apple sauce.

Modern pork production is safe enough that one could eat raw pork without hazard. But my slight experience is that I don't like the texture until the temp is above 145. Maybe its just from habit.

I just picked up a 15 lb fresh ham and was going to do short brine/cure on it for about 40 hours or so.  Pork and chicken turn pink when you smoke them so I am sure if I pull at 140-145 It will be ok.  The one I took to 165 was dry around the bone, but good where I glazed it. 

I think I will add maple syrup,  bourbon and a few other things for flavor.   Wish I had more time, but couldn't get to the butcher till today.