Fresh Ham Info

Unknown

I have included enough expert information to get you set to cook your ham. I am not the expert but a spend way too much of my time researching all things that pertain to cooking. IMHO, ham is the most forgiving meat you can do in your BGE. Cooking to a high internal like 195 like I like to do seems to scare others off, due to fears of dry meat, but it is only because they have not done it or they just prefer a ham at 140 or so, that can be sliced. What I do in a nutshell is: buy a 20lb fresh ham and have it de-boned and put in a sack of butchers twine (the bone can be used to cook grn beans, pintos, etc), but if you want to leave the bone in that would be just fine. I like em boned cause they are much easier to handle through the brine and cooking. Next I use a plastic oval file container from Wal Mart that is the perfect size for the ham and I make my brine far enough in advance so that it has time to cool before putting the ham in it (refer to resources given for a brine you like, I had cloves, garlic, bay leaves, and crushed blk pepper along w/the salt for flavorings). I brine for a day and a half. I rinse and dry the ham, and then put my glaze (be creative and refer to info below) on it. Cook at 225 about 18 hrs to and internal of 195 then wrap in foil tightly and cover with towels and put into a Styrofoam cooler for an hour or two. Below you will find all the resources I have used in the past. You are welcome to email me with any questions you may have. Bottom line is if you keep your egg at 225 and cook to 195, your ham will be good.[p]I find this definition is very close to the way I look at the pre-cooked hams.
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=33078[p]This looks to be some very good and interesting ideas on brine and glaze ingredients and instructions.
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/ham-recipes/coca.htm[p]And here is our very own and famous Eggor and Entrepreneur with his instructions on how to cure and cook a whole ham, which you could use with good results by just removing the curing agent “quicktender” or whatever because you are not planning on leaving it but 1 day or so.
http://www.dizzypigbbq.com/recipesHam.html[p]The is a complete discussion on the “About” site on hams and I only include it so you can check out the remark (3rd paragraph from bottom) on fresh hams.
http://bbq.about.com/cs/pork/a/aa112898.htm[p]I have never seen so much detail about brining included here, although it is poultry the facts will prove very helpful with other meats as well.
http://cookshack.com/barbeque_guide/101/Brining101.htm#_Toc528293321[p]The following is a comment from another BBQ forum and I don’t even know which one, but several people shared this same sentiment:

"I've also been doing whole hams for a while, and people have been asking to buy them as well. I use a brine similar to Smokin Okies, but with sage and a bit of vinegar added. I usually have to do it in a cooler with ice since I don't have a container big enough for a 25lb. ham. I wash for about 5 minutes under running water and I usually smoke for about 16 or 18 hours to an internal temp of around 175 or so with apple and hickory wood. I've got nothing but rave reviews yet. I'll post the brine recipe when I can remember to bring it in. I am interested in trying dry curing as well if you have a recipe."
JayB[p]

stike

Chet,
lotta work, man. thanks[p]what do you know about cold smoking hams?
what's the difference with curing a ham and then cooking it right away vs. cold smoking to preserve it and then cooking?[p]any idea?

Unknown

stike, you could use DizzyPigs info to get you to a point where you are ready to smoke, IMHO, cold smoking is the 2nd stage of curing a ham. Dizzy gives you a way to brine cure it (1st step). I mentioned yesterday that I had been involved in a project of curing about 25 at one time that was really brought on by the fact that the new property of my Uncle's included a pre 1900 smoke house still in good shape. It was a sq little building with a pit in middle for the fire. It was very cold and we kept that fire going for a couple days as I recall, and due to the weather I am sure the temp never got over a 100. It is highly possible to use a sm and large egg the way some have done when making jerky, by letting the small be a smoker piping smoke into the lge via a dryer hose. anyhow the first step was very interesting and that was rubbing the hams with the salt and hanging them in a cooler where the temp was constant and the air circulation was really forcefull so that the salt was driven into the ham all the way to the bone. I'm leaving a lot out and it's been years, but you get the pic.

stike

Chet,
wow

djm5x9

<p />Chet:[p]As you know, smoke houses were a fixture on American farms since this country was first occupied until the invention of the electified ice box. Dan Gill has a wonderful site that brings back to life the art of smoking meats. His site brings back wonderful tastes and smells of childhood days spent in the country.


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Unknown

Chet,
Thanks to you and djm5x9 & others for all the info on ham. Sure glad I asked a couple weeks early, gives me time to study and digest all this info. I will get back to you if I get confused. Thanks again and I will let you know in a couple weeks how it worked out.Andy

Unknown

Chet,[p]Doesn't cooking to 195 internal bawsically give you pulled ham? Where would you stop temp-wise to get a good sliceable ham?[p]Brian[p]