My apologies for the lack of Q-view, but with everything going on, I neglected the pics.
The Easter morning started with the charcoal getting ready in the chimney and a pot of water boiling on the stove. After I got the charcoal arranged in the smoker with some apple wood chunks, it was ready for the red-glow of lit embers. Everything was going well, letting the bulk of it burn off the white, bitter smoke, then I brought out the boiling water...
Couldn't see in the dark where the security light wasn't shining (Never thought about that for the placement of the smoker) and when I was pouring the water into the water pan, a significant amount poured over onto, of course, my lit coals. I cranked up the PitmasterIQ and got it back up to temp.
The day before the hams were trimmed of fat and skin. When the smoker hit 225 I got them in. They were each in a small aluminum pan, with a larger pan with the trimmings dripping goodness through holes in the bottom. Since I had to be at church early, the wife covered the hams with foil and a little wine in the pan. When I got back from church, the hams had released a lot of juice and I was terrified that the 180 early temp was a death sentence to moisture.
I drained the pans and put them back on. I had scored the hams about a 1/4, with the cuts facing up, and then started glazing them with Chris Lilly's apricot sauce cut with 50% chicken broth. I glazed about every 20 minutes and had the smoker backed down to about 200 or so with frequent openings to glaze. Hams were on at 7am and taken off at 1pm. Main temp was 225 and foiled most of the morning.
The hams came out amazing! They were still moist and juicy and my 80-something grandfather-in-law said it was probably the best ham he had ever eaten.
So yet again the best message I have ever picked up on this forum, and I see it frequently, is to persevere, and I put it into practice. Smokers and meat don't always behave according to recipe or time, be patient, assess the situation and call an audible when needed to keep that smokey goodness the star of the table!
The Easter morning started with the charcoal getting ready in the chimney and a pot of water boiling on the stove. After I got the charcoal arranged in the smoker with some apple wood chunks, it was ready for the red-glow of lit embers. Everything was going well, letting the bulk of it burn off the white, bitter smoke, then I brought out the boiling water...
Couldn't see in the dark where the security light wasn't shining (Never thought about that for the placement of the smoker) and when I was pouring the water into the water pan, a significant amount poured over onto, of course, my lit coals. I cranked up the PitmasterIQ and got it back up to temp.
The day before the hams were trimmed of fat and skin. When the smoker hit 225 I got them in. They were each in a small aluminum pan, with a larger pan with the trimmings dripping goodness through holes in the bottom. Since I had to be at church early, the wife covered the hams with foil and a little wine in the pan. When I got back from church, the hams had released a lot of juice and I was terrified that the 180 early temp was a death sentence to moisture.
I drained the pans and put them back on. I had scored the hams about a 1/4, with the cuts facing up, and then started glazing them with Chris Lilly's apricot sauce cut with 50% chicken broth. I glazed about every 20 minutes and had the smoker backed down to about 200 or so with frequent openings to glaze. Hams were on at 7am and taken off at 1pm. Main temp was 225 and foiled most of the morning.
The hams came out amazing! They were still moist and juicy and my 80-something grandfather-in-law said it was probably the best ham he had ever eaten.
So yet again the best message I have ever picked up on this forum, and I see it frequently, is to persevere, and I put it into practice. Smokers and meat don't always behave according to recipe or time, be patient, assess the situation and call an audible when needed to keep that smokey goodness the star of the table!
