# Pork Butt Hams with Pop's Brine -updated



## woodcutter (Apr 28, 2013)

I turned my first pork butt into ham in March with Pop's brine. I also have made Canadian bacon 3-4 times with the brine and wanted to see how the bacon brine would taste with a pork butt instead of using pork loin. I pulled the butts out of the brine last night after 16 days.













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The brine looked liked like beef broth and was not slimy or cloudy.













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I asked the bakery in Sam's Club for frosting buckets 3 times and that was the charm. The lady gave me 3 of these tall narrow buckets. I had to cut about 2" off the top so it would fit in the refrigerator. I think 4 butts would fit if my shelf would hold it.













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(Still need to work on the tying.) Rinsed them off and dabbed with paper towels. 













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Test fried some of the corners and high spots. Tasted like good ham and salt was perfect. I left the butts uncovered in the refrigerator overnight but did not get much of a pellicle. I started my smoker at 100 at 5AM to dry them off and will turn up at 6 so the smoke starts. Going to use black cherry hunks.

More to follow later today.


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## themule69 (Apr 28, 2013)

looks good so far.i have some belly in pops cure right now.








happy smoken.

david


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## woodcutter (Apr 28, 2013)

Thanks Mule. Happy smoken to you too! I'm having a little Amish Bologna for breakfast today.













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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 28, 2013)

Looking good. making buck board bacon with Pop's brine is our favorite! Currently have 4 bottom rounds brining away for pastrami.


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## woodcutter (Apr 28, 2013)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Looking good. making buck board bacon with Pop's brine is our favorite! Currently have 4 bottom rounds brining away for pastrami.


Pop's brine is like nectar from the gods!


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## woodcutter (Apr 28, 2013)

I smoked the butts for 11 hours with black cherry hunks the whole day. Started at 100 for the first hour then 6 hours at 160 then 4 hours at 180. The brine was the same that I used for Canadian bacon only this time with pork butt instead of loin. For the most part it tastes like ham but you can also taste the Canadian bacon flavor.













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It is definitely fatty ham but it is still very good. Thanks for looking!


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## Bearcarver (Apr 28, 2013)

That looks Totally Excellent !!!

Beautiful !!

Bear


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## davidhef88 (Apr 28, 2013)

Maaaan does that look good. I would live a slice of nice fatty ham about now.


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## jaxrmrjmr (Apr 28, 2013)

That looks great, man!  There are so many twists people are putting on this site...  I love it.  I have been smoking the standard ribs, butts, chickens, and turkey for years with good results.  But when I bought a new smoker, I went looking for some reviews on it first.  That's how I found this site and started poking around as I wanted to try making jerky on the smoker.  There are lots of ideas here.  My wife just looks at me when I start talking about CB, now Pork Butt Bacon, Pastrami, etc.  Don't get me wrong - she loves me smoking and grilling but she knows her kitchen will be turned into a meat processing plant and that our spare frig will be full of things brining and curing, etc.

I'm still not completely comfortable with my new smoker.  I want to make sure that I can make it perform how I want before I try some of the more "different" items.  Jess (my wife) laughs at me and reminds me saying that I wanted a low-maintenance smoker but I'm spending a lot of time tending it.  After a few runs, she is now seeing that what I made look so easy on our old smoker wasn't just the smoker.  I just have to learn how to make it do what I want it to.


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## woodcutter (Apr 29, 2013)

Bearcarver said:


> That looks Totally Excellent !!!
> 
> Beautiful !!
> 
> Bear


Thanks Bear, it tastes even better today.


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## woodcutter (Apr 29, 2013)

Davidhef88 said:


> Maaaan does that look good. I would live a slice of nice fatty ham about now.


Thanks!


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## woodcutter (Apr 29, 2013)

JaxRmrJmr said:


> That looks great, man!  There are so many twists people are putting on this site...  I love it.  I have been smoking the standard ribs, butts, chickens, and turkey for years with good results.  But when I bought a new smoker, I went looking for some reviews on it first.  That's how I found this site and started poking around as I wanted to try making jerky on the smoker.  There are lots of ideas here.  My wife just looks at me when I start talking about CB, now Pork Butt Bacon, Pastrami, etc.  Don't get me wrong - she loves me smoking and grilling but she knows her kitchen will be turned into a meat processing plant and that our spare frig will be full of things brining and curing, etc.
> 
> I'm still not completely comfortable with my new smoker.  I want to make sure that I can make it perform how I want before I try some of the more "different" items.  Jess (my wife) laughs at me and reminds me saying that I wanted a low-maintenance smoker but I'm spending a lot of time tending it.  After a few runs, she is now seeing that what I made look so easy on our old smoker wasn't just the smoker.  I just have to learn how to make it do what I want it to.


Thank you, I know what you mean about your wifes kitchen. Same thing happens here. The push for the new bucket in the picture was because I was taking up too much room in the extra fridge. I've been cutting pieces off the edge of one of the hams and think this would make really good jerky if cut into strips ans smoked with black cherry.


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## woodcutter (Apr 30, 2013)

Fresh mini hoagie bun, fresh ham and swiss cheese in the toaster oven. That's all I want!













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## pops6927 (May 1, 2013)

Wow!  That looks just great!  Dang good tying too!  So glad you're enjoying it!  The ones I made disappeared, strangely....


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## smokefever (May 1, 2013)

WoW, I love seeing all the informative posts on the different things you can do with a little brine/cure, some patience and a empty stomach!!!  This looks INCREDIBLE and I will for sure be trying this out.............thanks for the post!


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## woodcutter (May 1, 2013)

Pops6927 said:


> Wow!  That looks just great!  Dang good tying too!  So glad you're enjoying it!  The ones I made disappeared, strangely....


Thanks, I am really enjoying it. I have been keeping something in brine for a few months now. I enjoyed your knot tying tutorial!


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## woodcutter (May 1, 2013)

SmokeFever said:


> WoW, I love seeing all the informative posts on the different things you can do with a little brine/cure, some patience and a empty stomach!!!  This looks INCREDIBLE and I will for sure be trying this out.............thanks for the post!


Thank you!


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## themule69 (May 1, 2013)

JaxRmrJmr said:


> That looks great, man!  There are so many twists people are putting on this site...  I love it.  I have been smoking the standard ribs, butts, chickens, and turkey for years with good results.  But when I bought a new smoker, I went looking for some reviews on it first.  That's how I found this site and started poking around as I wanted to try making jerky on the smoker.  There are lots of ideas here.  My wife just looks at me when I start talking about CB, now Pork Butt Bacon, Pastrami, etc.  Don't get me wrong - she loves me smoking and grilling but she knows her kitchen will be turned into a meat processing plant and that our spare frig will be full of things brining and curing, etc.
> 
> I'm still not completely comfortable with my new smoker.  I want to make sure that I can make it perform how I want before I try some of the more "different" items.  Jess (my wife) laughs at me and reminds me saying that I wanted a low-maintenance smoker but I'm spending a lot of time tending it.  After a few runs, she is now seeing that what I made look so easy on our old smoker wasn't just the smoker.  I just have to learn how to make it do what I want it to.


welcome to the group. yes smoming is addictive. they should put warning labels on smokers.

happy smoken.

david


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## themule69 (May 1, 2013)

it looks great woodcutter. i have a belly in pops brine now. pops brine is so simple and turns out great everytime. i too pretty much have something in the works at all times. i need to adopt an army. to help eat all my goodys.

happy smoken.

david


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## reinhard (May 1, 2013)

Those butt's turned out awesome. I used Pop's brine also for my buckboard bacon and they turned out great. I used Pop's "lower salt" brine for the canadian bacon and it was awesome as well. congrats on a super job. Reinhard


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## uncle_lar (May 1, 2013)

great  looking ham! very nice!


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## woodcutter (May 1, 2013)

Reinhard said:


> Those butt's turned out awesome. I used Pop's brine also for my buckboard bacon and they turned out great. I used Pop's "lower salt" brine for the canadian bacon and it was awesome as well. congrats on a super job. Reinhard





themule69 said:


> it looks great woodcutter. i have a belly in pops brine now. pops brine is so simple and turns out great everytime. i too pretty much have something in the works at all times. i need to adopt an army. to help eat all my goodys.
> 
> happy smoken.
> 
> david


Thank you!


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## smoker21 (May 1, 2013)

Man am I gonna have to try this!


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## no peek n (May 1, 2013)

Are them just regular PB, but just deboned and then tied, Didn't see that anywhere stating such.

What if my MB can't get the starting temp down that low.? My butcher is giving me some Prague #1 brine for free..


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## dirtsailor2003 (May 1, 2013)

Those turned out great! Grilled ham and cheese, can't go wrong with that!


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## kathrynn (May 1, 2013)

Oh YUMMERS!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   Looks really great to me!

Yall make me laugh about taking up room in the Wife's Kitchen....My stuff is filling parts of Lynn's Man Cave (the Garage)

Giggle!

Kat


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## woodcutter (May 1, 2013)

No Peek n said:


> Are them just regular PB, but just deboned and then tied, Didn't see that anywhere stating such.
> 
> What if my MB can't get the starting temp down that low.? My butcher is giving me some Prague #1 brine for free..


Yes regular butts. I de-boned from the end and tied it. I kept my temps down because I like as much smoke as I can get so it slowed the cooking process. You could cold smoke for a while and then start heating or use a stronger flavored wood. (Cherry is very subtle flavored) I took it off at 145 degrees.


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## bluebombersfan (May 2, 2013)

WOW!! Those look amazing!  NIce Job!!


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## driedstick (May 2, 2013)

Thanks a lot!!!! you just updated my "TO DO LIST" 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





    Dang nab it man that looks good. great job.


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## redwood carlos (May 2, 2013)

I was reading this thread thinking to myself I need to try this. Then oh boy the smoke color and slices look great one day soon I'll do this. Then OMG those sandwiches!!! I need to do this right away.


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## no peek n (May 2, 2013)

Thanks Woodcutter, I saw this thread, and said to myself..SELF.! I just smoked a cornedbeast last month, that Jeff's Rub posted then I saw this and said >>What the H*&^*...that would be Winner.Winner Chicken Dinner...to round out the TEST'n proggress..KOOL.thanks..


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## redwood carlos (May 2, 2013)

Quick question. Do you tie then brine, or would that be a no-no?


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## woodcutter (May 2, 2013)

REDWOOD CARLOS said:


> Quick question. Do you tie then brine, or would that be a no-no?


I deboned and tied it then injected and put in the brine.


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## woodcutter (May 2, 2013)

No Peek n said:


> Thanks Woodcutter, I saw this thread, and said to myself..SELF.! I just smoked a cornedbeast last month, that Jeff's Rub posted then I saw this and said >>What the H*&^*...that would be Winner.Winner Chicken Dinner...to round out the TEST'n proggress..KOOL.thanks..





REDWOOD CARLOS said:


> I was reading this thread thinking to myself I need to try this. Then oh boy the smoke color and slices look great one day soon I'll do this. Then OMG those sandwiches!!! I need to do this right away.





KathrynN said:


> Oh YUMMERS!
> 
> 
> 
> ...





dirtsailor2003 said:


> Those turned out great! Grilled ham and cheese, can't go wrong with that!





BlueBombersfan said:


> WOW!! Those look amazing!  NIce Job!!


Thanks for the compliments!


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## smokesalittle (Oct 10, 2013)

What IT for sliced ham not pulled


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## woodcutter (Oct 10, 2013)

Around 165-180 but it helps to slow the smoker temp down at the end and give it a little time to break down some of the fat because it is a pork butt. It won't dry out. I like the high IT of 205 because almost everything is broke down and the fat is marinating the meat. If you pull it at a lower temp you just have to cut around some fat while your eating it. It is very good ham especially for the price of butts. Some of the hams I made were $.99 Lb. I have 2 butts in brine to smoke this week end. I'm going to 205 with them.


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## smokesalittle (Oct 11, 2013)

I am pulling mine out of the brine after 15 days today let them sit to form a pellicle and will smoke them tomorrow. If they turn out as good as yours look I am gonna be really happy. I have not decided on which wood to use yet, I am thinking oak and cherry but last weekend I used oak and pecan for a brisket that turned out pretty impressive. I guess it will depend on which wood I grab when I go down to the rack tonight to prepare for an early start smoking in the morning.


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## woodcutter (Oct 11, 2013)

Those are all good choices for ham.


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## smokesalittle (Oct 14, 2013)

ham.jpg



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I took these out at 145 IT, covered them with a glaze, refrigerated for a day, cut them into 1lb steaks packaged an froze them. There is some visible fat in them but what ham doesn't have fat, the flavor is absolutely wonderful. The glaze I decided on was a more traditional orange/clove glaze, I added 1/4 cup to each package before I vacuum sealed them so when we heat them up using the boil-in-bag method they will heat up in the glaze. of course I sliced some off and heated it up before all of it got packaged, the smoky flavor goes perfectly with the glaze, the salt content is nearly perfect all the way through and is balanced perfectly with the glaze as well. I ended up going with oak and cherry. We are having it for supper tonight I will try to post a pic before the steak gets destroyed since I forgot to take any while packaging last night. Thanks for all your help, I will do this again and again and again


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## woodcutter (Oct 14, 2013)

Smokesalittle said:


> ham.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's great! Looks just like the color my hams turns out Your glaze sounds like it would be a good partner with Pop's brine. I don't know how well it would work with glaze on the steaks but I read one of Pop's threads where he gave the ham steaks a quick grilling and they looked fabulous. Pop sure has shared a great brine recipe! I can't get enough of it.


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## smokesalittle (Oct 14, 2013)

Exactly what I had in mind,  reserve the glaze, grill them then brush the glaze on them


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