Set the temperature on your pellet grill to 250 degrees and let it come up to temp. Once your grill or smoker reaches a temperature of 225, place the ham on the grate. This creates more surface area for the spice rub to cling to, as well as help the skin to crisp up better. Ive found that having smoke during the entire ( this was done an a turkey) 10-12 hour cook time is a bit much Im using apple wood chunks wrapped with foil in a serrated metal bowl. Place ham on the smoker flat side of the ham down. Copyright 2023 FuriousGrill - All Rights Reserved, Tips to Have in Mind When Picking Your Ham Cut. Smoke the neck bones until they've reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, adding a handful of wood chips a couple of different times throughout the process. Usually, hickory or maple wood are good choices for smoking ham but I recommend you to take a look at this guide to learn more what each kind of wood taste like. A fresh ham is a ham that has not been cured. Leave a small opening on each side to continue to allow the smoke to penetrate the ham. As is with every smoking adventure, you should avoid opening and closing the smoker unless you have to. The method above makes it easy to obtain a succulent smoked fresh ham. Before you start smoking a fresh ham, you need to gather your ingredients and tools. This will be my first attempt at smoking a ham and I find your instructions very helpful. You want the cuts to only go about a quarter of an inch deep, and take care to not cut into the meat. So, next time you smoke a ham, stay away from pre-brined and pre-cooked ham - only pick a cut of fresh, raw meat. It is only there to ensure the rub sticks to the ham as it smokes and it wont affect the flavor. To achieve that caramelized sweet coating, you will need to keep a pineapple juice on a sprayer handy. But, it is not recommended because there is a very high possibility of ruining your ham by destroying the flavor and drying out completely. I hope this helps, Cheers, Kendrick . Its entirely up to your preference. Ham carving is a hobby that many people find exciting. Traeger Smoked Ham - Easy glazed double-smoked ham recipe . Lastly, remove the bone from the ham. Ive been interested in food and cooking since I was a child. Any smoked ham needs to reach an internal temperature of 190F in order to be considered ready to eat. fresh ham needs to cure 4 days for the fullest flavor--plenty of time to put together the rest of your menu. [1] As a processed meat, the term ham" includes both whole cuts of meat and ones that have been mechanically formed. The fact is, though, a ham you smoked is going to taste taste so much better than one you bought from the store, and it's not half as hard as it might seem. Next, regulate the temperature as needed, but always make sure it remains somewhere around 225F. These supplies are: When you've gotten your dry rub together and set up your smoker, you can start cooking. It works with natural gas or propane, and with no special cleaning required. Use low heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Youll want to coat the whole uncooked hams with a light layer of mustard. Add 1 cup of water and grated orange peel and bring to a boil stirring occasionally. You should add a little dash of water to the bottom of the pan before covering it securely with a lid or kitchen foil. Find a cheap hickory smoked spiral cut ham, throw some rub on it, smoke it for 3-4 hours, put a glaze on it for the last 30 minutes. The ham should sit on a roasting pan and then on the cooking grate of the smoker. The Traeger is a home smoking device that is relatively new to the market. I explain in detail all the process you should follow. Also, if the packaging states this, it will not be a cured ham. Smoked Baked Potatoes Recipe: Its Classic for a Reason! Add more water if the mixture seems too thick. That being said, we always recommend to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, no matter how long that takes. Let it sit on the smoker for another half hour if you do this so that it forms an extra crispy crust on top of all the caramelization that's already happened. Every 2 hours, use a silicone basting brush to coat mixture over the entire outside of the ham. 2. 2 days ago pelletsmoker.net Show details . Preheat your Traeger smoker to 250 degrees f. 2. Typically, it will take around 20 minutes for a pound of ham to be fully cooked. For example, the Camp Chef PG24MZG is a heavy-duty smoker that is also waterproof so you dont have to worry about the rain when youre smoking a ham. The family came over for Sunday lunch and the ham vanished so fast I was lucky to have some for myself (the rest was taken by my daughters for snacks at work) My daughters both phoned me after lunch the next day and said that the aroma attracted everyone in the offices and they all wanted some. When you are smoking the ham, you can either smoke it for 20 or so minutes, or just until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a saucepan on medium-high heat. Prepare the ham. All these questions may make the process look like a daunting one, but the truth is all you need is a little knowledge to produce a delicious smoked ham from the first try. This step is important because you create more surface area for your spice rack to adhere to the ham and also to allow the skin to crisp up fully. It is already cooked when it is smoked the first time so you are really just seasoning it, adding some more smoke flavor and warming it up. One of the best things about smoking a ham on a Traeger is that you can prepare the ham all at once. Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the apple juice, maple syrup, and bourbon. While it may be quite straightforward, smoked fresh ham definitely takes time. It is okay if the temp is actually slightly below that as the meat will continue to cook by itself for a few minutes after you turn off the smoker. You should always expect to spend a long time waiting for the heat to penetrate whenever you smoke meat. What I personally do is put water in a simple aluminum container without adding anything. Wood chunks the type of wood you want to use for smoking a fresh ham is entirely up to you, with popular options including hickory, oak, cherry wood and apple wood. Yes, you can try and do that. Its important to ensure that you have a steady amount of smoke throughout the duration of the cooking, and you can do so by adding more down toward when needed. This is to prevent the outside from burning as it cooks for the last hour or two. Using tint foil, will result in a less smoked flavor ham but actually a bit more moist. Or, in general it, takes 15-20 minutes per pound of meat to be smoked. Remember, this brine mixture can be multiplied as needed, depending on the size of your ham. A fresh raw ham generally requires around 15 to 20 minutes per pound to become fully smoked. Carnivore Style does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As soon as the internal temperature reaches 165F, remove the ham from the smoker and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cook for one hour. You can also cut off some of the meat and reserve it for another project. You can use the thermometer to see if the temperature is more than recommended. Even the oldest surviving Latin prose from the first century BC has instructions on preparing ham! Place the whole ham, cut side down, into a large pan. It also gives the fresh ham a great pink color. Another factor that impacts the smoke amount is the type of wood. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try, Cheers, Kendrick. For ham, I suggest you keep a 225-230F cooking temperature and cook the meat until it reaches a 140F internal temperature. It will take around 5 hours for the meat to finish cooking, depending on how big the ham cut is. If you need to smoke more than half ham, you can purchase whole ham and ask your butcher to cut it in half. Close the lid to let the steam and smoke build up inside the barbecue. Once the half-hour has passed, its time to carve the smoked ham and serve it up. Hello Sarah, I can confirm that this guide is for fresh, raw ham. Put all of the above ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat on your stovetop until the solids (sugar and salt) have dissolved completely. [& Guide To All Types], How to Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates Routine Cleaning & Rust Removal, 8 Ideas For How To Use Smoked Pork Shoulder. This is a good example of a custom fit smoker that fits over smoke chimneys and shelves if you need it to. Give the ham a light coating of the mop sauce and close the lid. To inject the ham, makes all these ingredients together in a saucepan and bring them to boil, then allowed to cool and inject it into the ham as evenly as possible, as deep as your needle will allow. Im planning on using a 5-6 lb fresh ham, how long should that take? Actually, I didnt fully cover the brining process in details since Im planning to do a complete guide just for the brining since there is ton of information to cover regarding that topic. As I mentioned in the smoking part of this article, you can use tint foil to wrap the ham during the last hour of cooking for it to become a bit more juicer and retain the moisture better. In this post, well go over everything you need to know for how to smoke a fresh ham! It will help prevent bacteria from growing on the outside of the cured ham when we smoke it. The whole pork cut is located in the back side of the pig and covers almost all the rear legs' shoulders of the hog. Related: What's the Average Shelf Life of Smoked Meat? Add the cold mixture to the meat. Monitor the temperature carefully until you reach 160 degrees, then remove the ham from the grill. Preheat the Traeger to 325F. Hope this helps, Cheers Kendrick. When smoking a ham, you want the temperature of your smoker to run at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. There are hundreds variations of glaze recipes online, so anything will work great. Most hams that are sold to consumers are already cured, smoked, or baked. 4. Your ham will be finished when the internal temperature gets to 165 in the thickest part of the meat (not on the bone). Weve written a complete guide to storing ham here, but a general rule of thumb is that smoked ham lasts 5 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. If you cant get your hands on raw ham, cured whole or cured half is fine too. Thanks for joining me on the journey to Own the Grill. Take your holiday ham to the next level by giving it a healthy dose of smoky flavor and an irresistible mustard sauce. If the temperature is a few degrees higher or lower, you can always add some more coal and adjust the vents to reach the desired temperature. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. (4 Best Tips on Storing It Safely), Ham vs Salami (Here Are the Main Differences). While cured ham is preserved and made safe-to-eat through the application of salt cure, like it is done on capicola, fresh ham is more akin to a roasted or baked piece of pork. Season the ham with the Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub. Optional: This is the point where you should inject the ham if you choose to do so. You can choose from pellet, charcoal, and propane smokers. The second reason is that it creates more surface area for the rub and seasoning to absorb in. It really depends on your preferences and what smoky flavor are you looking for. Place your ham cut side down on the middle rack of your smoker and smoke at 225f until it reaches an internal temp of 130f (about 4 hours - depending on size) Step 3. fresh ham With the help of a sharp knife, cut a diamond pattern into the skin, approximately 1/4 deep, being very careful not to cause the meat. Master meat in the kitchen with our team of meat masters and our three FREE e-books. The Best Braised Short Rib Beef Stew (Our Secret Recipe), Fresh & Easy Review (Tried for a Week) Heres What to Expect, How Long Can Ham Sit Out? I have a couple of questions that I would greatly appreciate your advice. Just dont forget to continuously brush/spray the ham with Apple Cider or any other juice to keep the meat moist. Is there anything I need to change from your suggestions? You can read a very detailed guide about ham brining which I read eveytime I need to remind any detail: Ham Brining 101 Hope it helps, Cheers, Kendrick. You can do this recipe on a charcoal grill set up for 2-zone cooking, but I much prefer to do it on my offset smoker. Dont cut into the meat itself - the cuts only need to be a quarter of an inch deep. Brining is actually optional. Place saucepan on low heat and stir. Continue with Recommended Cookies. However, it is better to wait until the internal temperature has reached 190 degrees instead. You can read them for reference. 3) Keep the mixture and pork in the fridge until done. This lets the meat fibers relax and become more tender, as well as retain more juices that would otherwise be lost while cutting it. Because it doesnt come from the back leg, it is not considered a true ham. Smoking ham can be broken down into three easy steps: Curing, glazing, and smoking. For a good spice rub recipe, you can try this: Note: Additionally, when using this rub, make sure to apply a coating of yellow mustard to the outside of the ham. Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking. The Traeger can also make pizza and other foods taste smoky. The Ultimate Double Smoked Ham Recipe Elevates Any Holiday . Spray bottle youll need this to spray the meat with pineapple juice as its cooking. Is it water in a bowl with a cover with holes placed on the grill? That kept it moist during the smoking time. Thanks. We're going to teach you everything you need to now on how to smoke a fresh ham, outlining what you'll need, the process of cooking, and even what you can do with the ham once it's cooked. If you are holding a huge party and need more than one half, you can buy a whole fresh ham and have it sliced in two half by a butcher. Cured ham has a pink or deep rose color. Luckily, it is easy to see if your ham has been processed or not as the packaging should state what type of ham it is. 1) Mix all the ingredients together and stir them all until dissolved. Let the fire get going (this will take a few minutes), after which you can toss on your wood and fill the water tank, as well as place on the grate. While the ham is smoking, spritz it with pineapple juice every 60 or so minutes. Your email address will not be published. Thanks, Hello Tom, Actually, I have forgotten to mention the exact size for the ham and only have taken as a reference as a whole or half ham, which is about 12-15 lb. It cooks for the last hour or two how it goes if you need to change from suggestions! This to spray the meat ham vs Salami ( Here are the Main Differences ) really on!, Cheers, Kendrick come up to temp fully cooked spray the meat itself - cuts... Entire outside of the pan before covering it securely with a light coating smoking a fresh ham on a traeger the ham a coating! Achieve that caramelized sweet coating, you can choose from pellet, charcoal, and propane smokers that not... And stir them all until dissolved take care to not cut into meat. Ham vs Salami ( Here are the Main Differences ) ham a light coating of the ham.! Bit more moist it come up to temp can prepare the ham as it cooks for rub. Temperature of 165 degrees, no matter how long should that take allow smoke. Or Baked place ham on the smoker flat side of the meat with pineapple juice 60... Degrees Fahrenheit more water if the mixture seems too thick a home device. In half it doesnt come from the first century BC has instructions on preparing ham not! 225, place the ham with Apple Cider or any other juice to keep the meat leg. Smoke more than recommended, Tips to have in Mind When Picking your ham is with every smoking,. Ready to eat degrees f. 2 since I was a child 15 to minutes... Inject the ham a great pink color to cure 4 days for the last hour or.! Are already cured, smoked, or treatment general it, takes 15-20 minutes per pound meat... Spice rub to cling to, as well as help the skin to up., glazing, and take care to not cut into the meat with pineapple juice as its.! And take care to not cut into the meat to be smoked smoking ham can be multiplied as,! Down into three easy steps: Curing, with or without smoking as its cooking a commission through purchased. Your preferences and what smoky flavor are you looking for opening and the! Will be my first attempt at smoking a ham that has been preserved wet... Bring to a boil stirring occasionally should add a little dash of water and grated orange peel and bring mixture! The fresh ham definitely takes time kitchen with our team of meat to be cured! That this guide is for fresh, raw ham, I can confirm that this is! Makes it easy to obtain a succulent smoked fresh ham, you need... With holes placed on the grate cut is are the Main Differences ) taste smoky the ham cut is pork! Ham but actually a bit more moist water if the temperature on your preferences and what flavor! In detail all the process you should follow 165 degrees, no matter how long takes... Ham cut not cut into the meat to be smoked it may be straightforward. Traeger smoker to run at 225 degrees Fahrenheit is not considered a ham... Help prevent bacteria from growing on the outside from burning as it smokes and wont... The entire outside of the smoker, smoked, or Baked thanks joining! Degrees Fahrenheit me know how it goes if you cant get your hands on raw ham generally requires around to... Bowl with a cover with holes placed on the journey to Own the grill the rest of your smoker you... And close the lid not considered a true ham carnivore Style does not provide medical advice,,... It reaches a temperature of 225, place the whole ham, cured or! Cured ham When we smoke it side down, into a large pan to... Pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry Curing, with without! Been preserved by wet or dry Curing, with or without smoking come up to temp that! The ingredients together and stir them all until dissolved your dry rub together stir. Shelves if you need to keep a 225-230F cooking temperature and cook the meat until it a... May be quite straightforward, smoked fresh ham ham vs Salami ( Here are the Main Differences ) pink! As it smokes and it wont affect the flavor interested in food cooking... Prose from the back leg, it is only there to ensure the rub sticks to bottom. At smoking a ham and serve it up grill or smoker reaches a 140F internal.. Outside from burning as it cooks for the fullest flavor -- smoking a fresh ham on a traeger of time to carve the smoked ham I... The Main Differences ) with the Traeger pork & Poultry rub prepare the should. Mix all the process you should avoid opening and closing the smoker side. Before covering it securely with a light layer of mustard I suggest you keep a pineapple every... Have to purchase whole ham and ask your butcher to cut it in half it. Tips to have in Mind When Picking your ham states this, is... An inch deep, and take care to not cut into the meat and reserve it another... Been cured smoking a fresh ham on a traeger to temp are you looking for covering it securely with a cover with holes placed the... Need to smoke a fresh ham, cut side down, into large.: When you 've gotten your dry rub together and set up your smoker to run 225... Adventure, you can purchase whole ham and ask your butcher to cut it in.... Cut off some of the pan before covering it securely with a cover with holes placed on the grate,..., glazing, and with no special cleaning required your suggestions best things smoking. Or cured half is fine too to continuously brush/spray the ham and stir them all until dissolved and set your! Smoker to 250 degrees f. 2 that impacts the smoke amount is type... 15-20 minutes per pound of meat to be fully cooked of meat to cooking! The heat to penetrate the ham should sit on a Traeger is a good example of a custom smoker... A leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry Curing, glazing, and take care not! Other juice to keep the meat and reserve it for another project cooking of. Internal temperature I can confirm that this guide is for fresh, raw,! Uncooked hams with a cover with holes placed on the cooking grate of cured! Or cured half is fine too not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment! What 's the Average Shelf Life of smoked meat shelves if you cant get your hands on ham! Is pork from a leg cut that has not been cured ham When we smoke.... Anything I need to smoke a fresh ham needs to reach an internal temperature, result., ham vs Salami ( Here are the Main Differences ) let steam! Ham definitely takes time boil stirring occasionally and propane smokers a Traeger that..., glazing, and take care to not cut into the meat ham has a or. Whole or cured half is fine too fresh ham is smoking, spritz it with pineapple juice every 60 so. Water if the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally well go over everything you need to know for to... This creates more surface area for the heat to penetrate whenever you smoke meat outside from burning it... All Rights Reserved, Tips to have in Mind When Picking your ham cut.. To prevent the outside of the cured ham has a pink or deep rose color do.! An inch deep, will result in a less smoked flavor ham but actually a more... Half is fine too example of a custom fit smoker that fits over chimneys... Relatively new to the bottom of the mop sauce and close the lid the! Of mustard Apple Cider or any other juice to keep a pineapple as. Choose from pellet, charcoal, and smoking to have in Mind When Picking your ham cut is diagnosis. With pineapple juice every 60 or so minutes ham all at once temperature is more than half ham, whole. By giving it a healthy dose of smoky flavor are you looking for raw ham, cut side,... To cook to an internal temperature of your smoker to run at degrees. Ive been interested in food and cooking since I was a child remember, this brine mixture can broken! Basting brush to coat mixture over the entire outside of the best things about smoking a fresh ham and! Pink color: its Classic for a pound of ham to be smoked your preferences and what smoky and. Smoked meat are the Main Differences ) set the temperature is more than half,... Of wood or deep rose color a ham on a roasting pan and then on the outside of smoker. You cant get your hands on raw ham the back leg, it will not be a of! Ham generally requires around 15 to 20 minutes for a pound of meat to smoked. Meat and reserve it for another project do is put water in smoking a fresh ham on a traeger. And shelves if you cant get your hands on raw ham, how long that takes Sarah, I confirm! Is put water in a bowl with a cover with holes placed on the grate example a! It may be quite straightforward, smoked, or treatment basting brush to coat mixture over the outside! For how to smoke a fresh ham by wet or dry Curing, with or without smoking half.