Final Result, Pulled Ham, Bearcarver's Recipe

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disco

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Oct 31, 2012
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Having not been led astray yet, I am copying another one of Bearcarver's techniques. This time, pulled ham. If you would rather see the original over the pale imitation, his post is:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138526/buckboard-bacon-and-pulled-cured-boston-butt-ham

Bear made his pulled ham from pork butt. There was a great sale on pork shoulder here so I picked one up and will be making my pulled ham from it. Bear also did 1/2 buckboard bacon and 1/2 ham from each of two butts. I will be doing all of my shoulder as pulled ham.

Here is the beast.


I started with removing the fat cap and skin.


As it was going to be dry cured using Bear's method, I didn't want it too thick and decided to remove the bone. No one told me I had to become a butcher to smoke. I started by cutting down to the bone.


I then slowly worked my knife over the surface of the bone.



Slowly, I kept working the knife around the bone until it was out. It was actually pretty easy if you took the time.


I cut off the thinner piece on the right for one piece.


To get the larger piece thinner, I butterflied it by cutting into the centre of it and opening it up.



Bear said to use 1/2 oz per pound of Morton's Tenderquick. I am Canadian and used 30 grams per kilogram. Trust me it is the same thing. I then added 8 ml (1/2 tablespoon) of brown sugar per pound. You have to do this for each piece, you cannot use the total weight of both pieces and make the mix.


I rubbed the mixture into the first piece on a plate so I can put any rub that falls off in the bag that it will cure in, You have to use all the cure mixture for that piece.


I repeated the process of making a cure rub and applying it for the second piece of pork. I put each piece in its own Ziploc bag making sure any excess rub from the plate was added.


Bear's formula for how long the pork will be in the cure is 1 day for every 1/2 inch of thickness plus 2 days. He then added 2 days for safety. My thickest piece was 2 inches so that is for 1/2 inch thicknesses (4 days) plus 2 for minimum plus 2 for safety for a total cure time of 8 days.

I will overhaul (turn the bags and rub in the cure and juices that come out) regularly during those 8 days.

I will add to the posting then. Wish me luck!

Disco
 
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Cant wait to see the results.

You make some good Q.
 
I wish you good luck! I can't wait to see how it turns out for you.

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Cant wait to see the results.

You make some good Q.
Thanks, c farmer but it isn't hard to be successful when you have great techniques to learn from like Bear's pulled ham. I have read extensively when I got my smoker but never heard of this before!

Disco
I wish you good luck! I can't wait to see how it turns out for you.

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Thanks, Woodcutter. I likely need it!

Disco
 
I don't think you will need luck Disco, you have Experience!!!
Great job on removing that bone, You Got Skills!!!
Nice write up, looking forward to seeing the progression!
 
Thanks, Dave. 

I will admit to having deboned a few pieces of meat in my time.

As for having experience, one of the reasons I am having so much fun with smoking is that is like when I first started to cook. There is so much to learn and experience. So, I am not experienced but I am having fun!

Disco
 
Never heard of this and missed the other post, so I'm glad you're trying it. I may get adventurous if yours turns out. So I'll be watching with baited breath lol.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4
 
Great post Disco! Points! I have a picnic shoulder that is going to go into Pop's brine pretty soon for a ham, not going to pull it though. I had looked at Bear's post too but decided that since I had the cure #1 I'd go with Pop's looking forward to seeing your finish ham.
 
Great post Disco! Points! I have a picnic shoulder that is going to go into Pop's brine pretty soon for a ham, not going to pull it though. I had looked at Bear's post too but decided that since I had the cure #1 I'd go with Pop's looking forward to seeing your finish ham.
As soon as I saw Bear's post it went on my to do list. Then Todd did one and the picnic shoulder came on sale. I was doomed, doomed I tell you.

Disco
Never heard of this and missed the other post, so I'm glad you're trying it. I may get adventurous if yours turns out. So I'll be watching with baited breath lol
There are certain people I follow on the forms so I don't miss their projects. Bear is one of them. If you want to try something special, you have to try his double smoked ham. Any better and there would be a commandment against it.

Disco
 
Great Start, Disco!!!

You explain what you're doing Perfectly!!!

I can't wait for you to get it done & taste that awesome stuff !!!

And Thank You again for the kind words.

Bear
 
Great Start, Disco!!!

You explain what you're doing Perfectly!!!

I can't wait for you to get it done & taste that awesome stuff !!!

And Thank You again for the kind words.

Bear
Thanks, Bear. Kind words are not a compliment if they are true.

Disco
 
After 8 days, I took the pork pieces out of the fridge and rinsed them in cold water for 30 minutes, changing the water once.


I then gave it a rub down with black pepper, onion and garlic powders.


Then it is into the fridge overnight to develop pellicle.


Then I preheated the Bradley to 140 F. I put the pieces in over an A-MAZE-N Pellet smoker loaded with oak and hickory. Bear recommended straight Hickory but he is more of a smoke hound than I am. After putting the pork in, I turned the heat down to 120 F.


Bear gradually increased the heat but he had buckboard bacon going at the same time. I considered putting the pork in at 230 F to begin with. However, I considered the fact that I would be foiling later and thought the extra time in the smoke couldn't hurt so the smoke went like this"

After 3 hours at 120 F the IT was 87 F.

After another 1/2 hour the IT was 90 F and I increased the temperature to 140 F.

After an hour at 140 F. the IT was 95 F and I increased the temperature to 160 F.

After an hour at 160 F the IT was 102 and I increased the temperature to 230 F.

After 2 1/2 hours at 230 F, the IT was 150 F and I took the pork from the smoker.

Here is the pork as I pulled it.


I put three slices of canned pineapple on a pan.


I put the larger of the two pieces on top of the pineapple and put three more slices on top.


I took the second piece of pork and put it on top and put the last two pieces of pineapple from the can on the pork.


I covered it all with foil and put it back in the Bradley at 260 F.


After 4 hours at 260 F, the IT was 205 F and I took the pork out and let it sit for an hour. It looked terrific.


I pulled it like a pulled pork but the colour was the pink you'd expect of a ham.


Here is the pulled pork piled on a plate. There is many meals here from a $10 shoulder. 


The verdict: This recipe is incredible. The result tastes like the juicy, fatty hams my mother used to make for special occasions. The taste is wonderful. By pulling it, you get the moist ham without the large chunks of fat. This is up there with the best hams I have ever had.

To personalize it to my tastes, I would likely just use pineapple juice and not the pineapple slices. Also, I would add some of the spices normally used in cooking a ham; cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. This would be even closer to what I remember from my childhood.

If you have not tried this technique, you must.

Once again, Bear has come up with an original idea that takes smoking to a new level.

Bear, I doff my cap to you.

Disco
 
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Disco,

You did a wonderful job on this, and a Great Step by Step too!!!

I was anxious for your report, because I knew you would absolutely Love It !!!!

I gotta make some more of this soon!!!  Yours looks Perfect !!

Bear
 
Disco,

You did a wonderful job on this, and a Great Step by Step too!!!

I was anxious for your report, because I knew you would absolutely Love It !!!!

I gotta make some more of this soon!!!  Yours looks Perfect !!

Bear
Thanks, Bear. You are a real innovator. I would have never thought of this or your double smoked ham. Both are going to be regulars in my cooking arsenal.

Disco
 
Thanks, Bear. You are a real innovator. I would have never thought of this or your double smoked ham. Both are going to be regulars in my cooking arsenal.

Disco
 Thank You, Disco!!!

Now you gotta go for the Trifecta!!!    Try the "Bacon-On-A-Stick". I didn't invent it, but since you like my Hams & this Pulled Butt Ham, it will be the best Ribs you ever had!!

Bear
 
Nice job on the hams and adding pineapple! Not many people ever get ham that tastes like that. I hope your are able to try some in scrambled eggs this morning.

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