Like others here, I'm doing a small ham for Xmas. Here in Australia, we usually get hams and keep them in the fridge, slicing bits off to have on sandwiches and things. This one will provide lunch and sandwiches for most of January. It's a butt-end, about 6 pounds US.
All my recipes and things have you curing the ham in a wet brine, then rinsing and soaking it in fresh water, then smoking it, and then boiling it to cook it.
Does anyone know why I couldn't take it out of the brine and boil it, and THEN smoke it? Seems to me the boiling after brining would help to remove excess salt, and then drying it a bit and then smoking it would give you a nice, burnished dry ham for all those lunches.
Bit puzzled!
All my recipes and things have you curing the ham in a wet brine, then rinsing and soaking it in fresh water, then smoking it, and then boiling it to cook it.
Does anyone know why I couldn't take it out of the brine and boil it, and THEN smoke it? Seems to me the boiling after brining would help to remove excess salt, and then drying it a bit and then smoking it would give you a nice, burnished dry ham for all those lunches.
Bit puzzled!