Double Smoked Hams---Times 4 (Step by Step)

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Well Brother      I am amazed- I smoked what would be my last dehydrated - dull - dried up ham, that I smoked for thanksgiving. I was thankful that the family had no weapons.

                UPDATE!  I read this thread and told wifey "get me a ham quick- I'ma gonna try this again, only by the Bearcarver method. I love ham and can't wait to try it - I am hungry just lookin at it. And your idea of Sammy packaging will help our budget.   Great Job!!!  It will be a week or so but I can't wait.
 
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Hi Tony!
 I usually take Pork to 145*, but these had a tag that came with them, that said 130* was enough. That was a little lower than I wanted to go, so I removed the 4 of them at 136*, 140*, 140*, and 143*. Wouldn't even hurt to go to 150, but not necessary.

As for how long I smoke, you guessed it, I use a light TBS, but I do it over many hours, because I am indeed a "Smoke Hound".
Remember-------Many hours of light TBS is a good thing, but A short time of heavy smoke is a bad thing.

PM me if you run into any questions when you do your Hams. I'll get back to you as soon as I see your question.

Bear


Bear,

Thank you for the confirmation of what I asked. I plan to do exactly what I stated, I just need to find a nice ham shank or two now. Lastly, do you just do 2 at a time or have you attempted more than that?

Appreciate your insight and knowledge....it is always so helpful and I love your posts......

Thanks,
Tony
 
So here are a few pictures of the hams I smoked.



I wanted to try a spiral ham as well but didn't want it to get dry.
I took the trimmings from the one ham and had it dripping over both hams.
I liked being able to get the glaze between the spirals.

They both turned out great!!
My wife loved it!

Thanks for sharing your recipe,

Charles
 
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Hey Bear, I just re-read for about the 5th time your Double smoked hams. I know I just did smoked turkeys, brisket and ribs, but those hams keep sticking in my mind if not before I will be doing your version of dbl. smoked ham. Heck I think I'll look at that post again

Gary
 
Bear,
Excellent pics, excellent post, excellent food.
Thank you

Lee
Thank You Lee!!

Bear
Bear,

Thank you for the confirmation of what I asked. I plan to do exactly what I stated, I just need to find a nice ham shank or two now. Lastly, do you just do 2 at a time or have you attempted more than that?

Appreciate your insight and knowledge....it is always so helpful and I love your posts......

Thanks,
Tony
Thank You Tony!

As you can see I had 4, but I only smoked 2 at a time, because of room in my smoker:

There isn't enough headspace to use all 4 grills, so I put the Hams on position #3, remove position #2 grill, and put the fat on position #1. Also I never use #4 because IMO it's too close to the heat.

I also smash the foil pan sides in a bit to allow more air space to travel around the Hams in their pans.

Bear
 
 
Well Brother      I am amazed- I smoked what would be my last dehydrated - dull - dried up ham, that I smoked for thanksgiving. I was thankful that the family had no weapons.

                UPDATE!  I read this thread and told wifey "get me a ham quick- I'ma gonna try this again, only by the Bearcarver method. I love ham and can't wait to try it - I am hungry just lookin at it. And your idea of Sammy packaging will help our budget.   Great Job!!!  It will be a week or so but I can't wait.
Thanks Mr Bill !!

You'll love it !

Don't let me miss it when you post it !

Bear
 
I wanted to try a spiral ham as well but didn't want it to get dry.
I took the trimmings from the one ham and had it dripping over both hams.
I liked being able to get the glaze between the spirals.

They both turned out great!!
My wife loved it!

Thanks for sharing your recipe,

Charles
Thanks Charles!!

That was a smart move sharing the fat from the regular Ham with the Spiral Ham without fat.

Glad you liked them!!

Bear
 
Will ya look at this, here I am reading this post and haven't had a bite to eat today (morning 9:35) and the Bear throws this in my face.

The mouth was watering reading this one Bear, I just have one question for you. Whenever I buy brought ham (on the bone) and cut, vac and freeze it, it never tastes the same once it's thawed out any idea why?. How does yours stand up to being frozen?

Cheers from Down Under
 
 
Hey Bear, I just re-read for about the 5th time your Double smoked hams. I know I just did smoked turkeys, brisket and ribs, but those hams keep sticking in my mind if not before I will be doing your version of dbl. smoked ham. Heck I think I'll look at that post again

Gary
Thanks Gary!!

You got the same problem I got----I like looking at these pics too, but I like looking at my Prime Ribs even more.
drool.gif


Bear
 
Will ya look at this, here I am reading this post and haven't had a bite to eat today (morning 9:35) and the Bear throws this in my face.

The mouth was watering reading this one Bear, I just have one question for you. Whenever I buy brought ham (on the bone) and cut, vac and freeze it, it never tastes the same once it's thawed out any idea why?. How does yours stand up to being frozen?

Cheers from Down Under
Thanks Pilch!!

Mine hold up great in the freezer.

The only thing I notice is the vacuum pack-freeze-thaw process seems to draw some salt and some moisture to the surface. 

I don't mind that myself, but if you do, you can give the pieces a quick rinse & pat them dry with paper towels & they're as good as new.

Bear
 
thank you ever so much. i'm trying fresh hams n i needed some rough guide to timing.

it's hard to get timing info cause everyone tells me to cook to IT. i do do that but need some idea of total times.

with your data i now knowi need to smoke on xmas eve, since i'm going to a higher  temp. ifi tried to start on the day, i woulda got screwed.
 
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thank you ever so much. i'm trying fresh hams n i needed some rough guide to timing.

it's hard to get timing info cause everyone tells me to cook to IT. i do do that but need some idea of total times.

with your data i now knowi need to smoke on xmas eve, since i'm going to a higher  temp. ifi tried to start on the day, i woulda got screwed.
I don't do Fresh Hams, but make sure you take the IT to at least 145°.

What cure are you using?

Bear
 
 bear, i'm using a varient of pop's n others.

1 gal water,

1 qt cider

4 cups raw brown sugar

7/8 cups salt

2 rounded tablespoons pink salt.

this is close to my regular brine, with extra salt n the nitrites.

according to what i've read, this amount of salt is normal, tho it seems high to me.
 
 
 bear, i'm using a varient of pop's n others.

1 gal water,

1 qt cider

4 cups raw brown sugar

7/8 cups salt

2 rounded tablespoons pink salt.

this is close to my regular brine, with extra salt n the nitrites.

according to what i've read, this amount of salt is normal, tho it seems high to me.
OK-----I just wanted to make sure you were using some type of cure.

Some Newbies think you can just throw a Fresh Ham in the smoker and low & slow it without any problems.

I don't do Fresh Hams, because my Double Smoked Hams come out better than any Ham I've ever had.

I also don't use Pink Salt or do I brine cure, so I can't approve or disprove your plan above.

Bear
 
thanks for the concern. at some point, i'll try your  double smoke way to compare the two.

i just really like doing stuff from scratch. i always get a fresh ham for xmas anyway, to cook it polish style in mushroom sauce.

it was 19 lbs tho, so i thot  a test with 1/2 was in order, since everything comes out better smoked. i was just gonna smoke it as a pork roast but this is more fun.

um, you can smoke a fresh ham at 225., just like any pork roast, but i'm not sure it's fatty enow to be as good as a butt. i just have a pellet smoker, so i can't cold smoke. when i'm rich, i'll get something that can. the idea of smoking for days has great appeal.

you can tell i'm a smoke fanatic because i don't usually use rubs or sauces. just the smoke is what i need.
 
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thanks for the concern. at some point, i'll try your  double smoke way to compare the two.

i just really like doing stuff from scratch. i always get a fresh ham for xmas anyway, to cook it polish style in mushroom sauce.

it was 19 lbs tho, so i thot  a test with 1/2 was in order, since everything comes out better smoked. i was just gonna smoke it as a pork roast but this is more fun.

um, you can smoke a fresh ham at 225., just like any pork roast, but i'm not sure it's fatty enow to be as good as a butt. i just have a pellet smoker, so i can't cold smoke. when i'm rich, i'll get something that can. the idea of smoking for days has great appeal.

you can tell i'm a smoke fanatic because i don't usually use rubs or sauces. just the smoke is what i need.
Sounds like you're in good shape!!

And yes, you can smoke a Fresh Ham too, as long as you get it from 40° IT to 140° IT  (Danger Zone) in no longer than 4 hours, unless you don't inject it, probe it, or break the outer seal in any way before you start Smoke-cooking it.

Bear
 
bear, please explain?

usually i cook fresh ham in the oven at 325. if i smoke at 225, it will take lots longer to get done.

i was gonna smoke the other 1/2 at 225 because that seems to give lots of smoke taste. i smoke everything at 225.

are you saying i can't do this?
 
 
bear, please explain?

usually i cook fresh ham in the oven at 325. if i smoke at 225, it will take lots longer to get done.

i was gonna smoke the other 1/2 at 225 because that seems to give lots of smoke taste. i smoke everything at 225.

are you saying i can't do this?
No---You can do this, but if you inject it before you start or temp probe it before you start, you have to treat it like ground meat, which means you have to get it from 40° IT to 140° IT in no longer than 4 hours.

If you don't inject it, and you don't insert a temp probe in the meat until 3 hours into the smoke, you don't have to worry about the 4 hour rule.

I never inject, and I wait until 3 hours is up to insert my probe (Sterilized), so I don't have to worry about it.

This is because the Nasties are on the outside of the meat, and if you inject or probe before you get the outside surface up to temp, you can drive the Nasties into the hunk of meat. And I wipe my probe off with an alcohol wipe to kill any Nasties on my probe.

Might sound like a PITA, but it really isn't.

Bear
 
thank you, bear. i've always just brined. i got this injector for the ham. i was gonna play with it on other foods.

i had no idea it could be so dangerous.
 
 
thank you, bear. i've always just brined. i got this injector for the ham. i was gonna play with it on other foods.

i had no idea it could be so dangerous.
I'm not talking about injecting cure----That's different !!!

Everything I said above has nothing to do with cured or curing meat. Curing eliminates the Danger zone issue.

I was talking about your mentioning doing a large "Fresh Ham"!!!  That's altogether different.

Bear
 
bear, i'll use it for the ham. i was thinking about injecting other meats with my brine, not cure.. mostly, i was thinking of injecting poultry with sweetened cider.

when you said it has to be treated like sausage, it sounds like a turkey might be iffy.
 
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