Ham Help

Here is some Dr Chicken info for hams. I like to do them egrets way, but use a pre-sliced one as it is easier to serve. Just don't cook as long for it will dry out. Happy Holidays!

Marinade, Ham, "Sweet Kiss of Death", Dr. Chicken


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Good clean water (if your city or well water has an offensive taste, please use bottled water)
1 cup light Karo syrup (make sure it is light Karo brand syrup)
1/8 cup Amaretto liqueur (use the real stuff it makes a difference)
2 Tbs Watkins brand Butter Pecan extract (this is the only Butter-Pecan extract I could find)
1 Tbs Rum extract (again, I used Watkins because of the better taste than store bought)
1 tsp Orange extract (this compliments the orange juice concentrate used in the glaze or basting sauce)
1-2 Tbs Vanilla extract (again, I used Watkins because of taste after the first run)




Procedure:
Directions for blending:
1 Into a medium size sauce pan add the water, Karo syrup and Amaretto. Stir frequently and heat very slowly to avoid scorching the sugars in the syrup.
2 Then, add all the remaining ingredients and continue to stir and heat slowly. When the mix looks uniform in color and smooth, remove mix from the stove and allow it to cool to almost room temperature.
Directions for use:
1 Wrap ham in 2 layers of plastic wrap before starting the injection process.
2 Using a marinade hypodermic syringe, inject at least 2 fluid ozs. Per pound of meat in a grid pattern through out the entire ham and don’t be afraid to use up to 3 ounces per pound of meat.
3 Continue to inject the marinade into the ham until the entire amount of marinade is injected evenly into the ham.
4 Cook the ham as shown in the “Double Smoked Ham” recipe. Be sure to you your favorite wood for smoke flavoring.
5 Do not cook the ham beyond 145° internal to prevent over cooking and drying out the ham.
6 Enjoy this recipe and let me know what you think!
Note:
1 Use an injectable marinade such as Tony Chachere’s Pecan-Honey-Praline in the ham just before cooking to “explode” the flavor of the ham. Be sure to use it @ the recommended rate of 2 fl. Ozs. per pound. It really does take that much to do the job right!


Servings: 1

Recipe Type
Marinade

Recipe Source
Author: Dr. Chicken (Dave Spence)

Source: BBQ List, Dr Chicken

First off, let me give a little background into the idea behind this injectable marinade and the reasoning behind it. Years ago, my Grandma and my Mom both cooked such delightfully good hams at Christmas time; it would make your head swim in delight. The aroma would make our house smell good for days! Tender, sweet, moist (most of the time) and just plain scrumptious, it was a memory like all of us have. I always wanted to duplicate the recipe. But, by the time I got around to asking my Mom about it, she was nearly bed ridden and had trouble remembering yesterday much less 40 to 50 years ago. Mom passed away 2 years ago last Valentines Day in 2000. But, I’ve continued to search and work at that memorable cooked ham. Five years ago, I took a challenge from my oldest brother to duplicate that recipe in an outdoor cooker. He said, "It can’t be done!" Any of you that have tried my "Dr. Chicken’s Double Smoked Ham" recipe knows that remark was not true then and is not true now! But, in all honesty, even the double smoked ham recipe left something to be desired. Sometimes it left the ham tasting great, but a little too dry. I believe it was Earl or Sprinter or GFW from the BGE user’s forum that suggested I use an injectable marinade in the ham, such as Cajun Injector’s or Tony Chachere’s Honey-Pecan-Praline marinades. Believe me, they both did a great job, but neither of them added the 'punch' like I wanted. So, I have kept on trying. Well folks, I think I have come up with what I wanted. Either recipe is a winner, but using them both on the same ham will result in by far the most fantastic tasting ham you will ever try. Please give both recipes a try! You will love the results! I hope too, it will become a "family tradition" like my Mom’s and my Grandma’s was in our family.

I am currently curing my third ham ala Dizzy Pigin the last two months, they are so very good. I completely recommend starting with a fresh ham and curing it yourself. Then egrets cooking style once the hams cured, you will not regret it.

Doug

I did an Egret ham for the first time this weekend. I will never buy a Honey Baked Ham again. Yes, it's that good.