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Already Cooked Heavily Smoked Easter Ham

GeorgiaBorn
GeorgiaBorn Posts: 178
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Every year my wife and I are invited to our neighbor's home for Easter. Their son got a smoker/grill for his birthday last year and for the second year in a row he smoked an already fully cooked, smoked ham. I have had them over for brisket, pulled pork, ribs and tri-tip on the BGE, so they know I know a thing or two about smoking and barbequing. Alas, he is the kind of guy that you can't tell anything to. He knows it all and he doesn't believe in lump, fire starters or any kind of wood except oak and hickory.

So, he buys this fully cooked, smoked ham and throws it on his smoker over charcoal briquettes soaked in lighter fluid and heavily smokes it for 5 hours over hickory and oak, constantly feeding the firebox with wood so the smoke stays thick and heavy. Honestly, it was like eating a piece of burnt wood that smoldered for hours over toxic charcoal.

After his similar ham last Easter, I sent him a recipe for doing a ham from scratch with the whole 1/2 a day per pound brining and smoking temps and types of wood. He said he didn't have 30 days to brine to which I replied, "well, if you had a 60 pound back leg quarter you would brine it for 30 days". Anyway, eating one bite of his ham today just makes me appreciate my BGE and all the advice I get in this forum more and more.

Happy Easter everyone! Hope your day was more flavorful than mine.

Comments

  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Ha! Tell him you have an aversion to briquettes soaked in lighter fluid...and you would rather eat a dog turd than attempt to swallow another...oh well better you than me. :laugh:
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: He soundfs like a "Lost Cause" to me! Sorry you had to endure it! :( Some are that way,next time,be busy or outta town! ;)
  • MCR
    MCR Posts: 270
    Hi,

    In a few months cook a nice ham and give your neighbor some left-over’s, just a nice big chunk . No need for explanation… if you get no comments or request for the recipe, use Hoss advice and you outta town for next Easter!

    Good Luck!
    Marc
  • Woodbutcher
    Woodbutcher Posts: 1,017
    No wonder some people say that they don't like smoked meat! I can't imagine how bad his smoked turkey tastes. :woohoo:
  • Gullzway
    Gullzway Posts: 35
    I did a ham for the first time. Used the Maple Bourbon Ham posted here in the recipes and everyone loved it, including me!
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    It's hard to get behind the "less is more better" theory on smoke. I have a friend that is just starting to grasp this, but he didn't just take my word for it.... he had to see a couple of cooks in action, and taste the results for himself.

    I often double smoke ham shanks and hocks for my beans. And look at the popularity of Dr Chickens Double Smoked Ham. So, double smoking can be done very effectively.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Hey Hoss. He could tell them "No thanks I have a BGE and would rather eat my own cooking" :woohoo:
  • Egg Juju
    Egg Juju Posts: 658
    I feel your pain. Sometimes the over smoked thing is difficult to learn. I have over smoked a lot of things using an offset. I have smoked pre-cooked hams as well, but with light smoke and lots of pineapple on the outside.

    I have a similar problem with some friends, but it doesn't relate to smoked food. They refuse to use salt and pepper when cooking. It's the bland on bland served with a side of bland. After several dinners we have just decided that we are not going any more. It is a hard decision, but it sounds as if you might be there.

    I hope you work that out...
    Large and Small BGE * www.quelfood.com
  • GeorgiaBorn
    GeorgiaBorn Posts: 178
    Well it's kinda funny, but I am having this entire family over our house this weekend for brisket and burnt ends. The last time I cooked for them was spare ribs. These were done for about 5 hours on the BGE and then basted for about another hour. They were fall off the bone, caramelized bones of sheer goodness.

    When the guy that served the smokey, double smoked inedible ham was eating my ribs he said, "these are pretty good, but in competition they would not be judged favorably because the meat falls off the bone too easy. BBQ judges are looking for a little pull and toughness from the rib, not fall off the bone, but for a backyard BBQ, they are pretty good".

    I replied, "glad you approve".
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Sounds like maybe it's time for a friendly little competition. You each do a ham, somebody neutral slices and serves and then everyone does a blind tasting. Tell him it's like being on Iron Chef or something....
    The Naked Whiz
  • GeorgiaBorn
    GeorgiaBorn Posts: 178
    LMAO Whiz! His older brother loves my BBQ. Actually said my burnt ends are better than Bubba Q, who owns a BBQ restaurant here in the Atlanta area and consistently wins pro BBQ contests for his briskets. Now that's an extreme compliment and all I need from that family!