# picnic ham



## cajunsmoker (Nov 11, 2006)

We had pork shoulders on sale this week for .99 per pound.  I was wanting to try curing a ham but decided I couldn't pass up this chance.

Here is my 8# Shoulder.






ready to inject with 1 1/2 cups of brine






Here's the brine cooking






and finally the brined shoulder ready to go in the fridge for the next 7 days







I got a little crazy with my brine.   :roll:   We like a real sweet sugar cured ham and we love to cook it with pineapple, sooooo, I added orange zest and pineapple juice to my brine along with some aromatic spices. Here is the brine recipe.

2 Gallons water
2 Cups     Pickling salt
2 Cups     Brown sugar
3 tsp        Prague cure #1
12 oz       Pineapple juice
2 TBSP   Honey
1 TBSP   Pickling spices
1 TBSP   whole cloves
4 sticks    Cinnamon
1 tsp        Orange zest
1/4 tsp     Allspice


Boil for 10 minutes, cool to 40 degrees, inject shoulder with 1 1/2 cups of brine

Don't know if it will be worth a flip, but it only cost $8.00 to try 8)


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## up in smoke (Nov 11, 2006)

So if I leave Friday noonish and just cruise normal, hit my sleeping bag about 11:00 Friday night, I should be at your place around supper time Saturday, right? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 BTW I like mashed sweet taters with my ham. :lol:


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## cajunsmoker (Nov 11, 2006)

Come on down :P  :!:   By the way, I just picked up a 40# box of Oak Grove sweet taters a few days ago.  Made some french frys last night. :D   Man they were good.


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## up in smoke (Nov 11, 2006)

I didâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]nt realize they could hold up to oil or do you bake emâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]? Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t they get mushy? :roll:


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## cajunsmoker (Nov 11, 2006)

fry them at 375 for just a couple of minutes.  Soon as they start to brown get them out.  They are great with just a sprinkle of brown sugar. :D


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## vulcan75001 (Nov 12, 2006)

Rodger
Looks good so far...anxious to see the end results..

Richard


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## bwsmith_2000 (Nov 12, 2006)

Roger,
     The picnic looks great and I look forward to seeing the results. Also, as much as I like sweet potatoes, I don't know why I haven't french fried any so far. I'll fix that today. Thanks for the post.


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## cajunsmoker (Nov 19, 2006)

I finally got off work and got my picnic out of the brine cure and here is where we stand.

Picnic just out of the rinses from the brine and ready to hit the smoker,






Here is the picnic after 3.5 hours at 133 degrees,







I'm headed to 160 degrees to get fully cooked to make a pineapple glazed picnic for Thanksgiving.


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## up in smoke (Nov 19, 2006)

What flavoring wood are you using, Roger? Apple?


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## cajunsmoker (Nov 19, 2006)

No, my wife requested cherry and pecan.  I just pulled it off and foiled it at 160.  Sliced a little bitty slice to see if it was too salty.  Tasted pretty good hot.


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## cajun_1 (Nov 20, 2006)

Soooo ? What's the rest of the post? Was it good ? Did the family enjoy it ? Is there any left? What's the address ?


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## vulcan75001 (Nov 20, 2006)

Looks like it came out good Rodger...can almost taste it now...where might one find that prague cure #1? just might have to do a shoulder before the weather gets too bad around here..

Later
Richard


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## cajunsmoker (Nov 20, 2006)

Hi guys,

Richard here's the link to Prague powder ,

http://www.sausagesource.com/catalog/4.html

Cajun_1, I just tasted a little bit and it was pretty good.  We will finish cooking it with a pineapple glaze for Thanksgiving.  If you can get here in time there will be plenty for all of us. :D


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## vulcan75001 (Nov 20, 2006)

Rodger
Thanks for the info...looks like there is a lot of interesting things to look at,at that site... thanks again...
Glad to hear the ham came out good....did you trim off any/all of the skin/fat from it after you brined it before smoking? The pineapple glaze will surely put it over the top...Hope you have a great Thanksgiving...

Later
Richard


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## cajunsmoker (Nov 20, 2006)

Hey Richard,

No, I just smoked it like it was.  The recipe says to remove the skin and leave the fat and bake it to 140 degrees fat side up in a roasting pan before glazing.  I am trying to get the picnic to the state that the recipe calls for but control the salt and taste of the meat.  I have bought smoked, fully cooked picnics before that were so salty that I could not eat them.  If I were doing it over I would not put so much cloves in my brine.  The ham tastes a little too much like cloves.  However, the glaze calls for studding with cloves, so we are just going to skip that part.  Basically the glaze is just brown sugar, honey, pineapple rings, cherries and cinnamon other than cloves.

I'll put a pic up on thanksgiving when it is done if the wife doesn't hide the camera from me :roll: .

Hope you guys have a great holiday!!


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