Smoked Ham and Pineapple Kabobs

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I am always trying to figure out new ways to serve smoked meat to keep things exciting for you and your guests and this Easter, instead of serving the ordinary ham with pineapple slices on it, why not turn the ham into smoked ham and pineapple kabobs? The instructions are easy to follow, it smokes up faster than a whole ham and your guests will rave about it. Not to mention, doing things this way means you get more smoke and more rub per bite and that is always a good thing! Well.. you do have options. I have also included instructions below for smoking a whole ham just in case you are not up for something new.

• Ready to Heat n' Serve Ham
• Skewers (wooden or metal) note: no need to soak due to low smoker temperatures
• Fresh Pineapple
• Yellow mustard
• Jeff's original rub (purchase the recipes)

Unwrap ham and set on a cutting board. I bought one to show you the smoked pineapple kabobs and another one to smoke whole. I prefer the smaller ones and if I need more ham, I simply buy two smaller ones instead of one large one. For the kabobs, cut the ham into chunks. Slice them first (as shown) then cut each slice into thirds then in half. Make the chunks any size you want but try to keep them all uniform if possible. Once the ham is all chunked up, you'll need to cut the pineapple into chunks as well. I like to peel it then remove the “eyes” but as my wife tells me, this is just being overly meticulous, it's completely unnecessary unless you just want to do it. “For goodness's sake, just peel it and cut it into chunks”, she says;-) Pineapple cut into chunks. Squirt some mustard on the ham and stir it around to coat each piece. Note: It would probably be easier to put the ham in a ziploc bag instead of a bowl if you have a large one available. Pour about 1/4 cup of my original rub (purchase the recipes) onto the ham and stir it around. Add another 1/4 cup if you want more. Be generous with it. Using wooden skewers, place alternating pieces of ham and pineapple until you have a total of 6 pieces on each skewer. If you are using longer skewers, you may want to add more to each one, it's your call. I made skewers until I ran out of pineapple. I'll place the leftover pieces of ham on a separate Bradley rack and smoke them alone. I place the ham and pineapple kabobs on Bradley racks for easy mobility. Tip: If you have leftover pieces of ham, place them on a Bradley Rack and smoke them right along with everything else. Set up your smoker for about 200°F if possible. Why so low, you ask.. Well.. you want the little chunks of ham and pineapple to get plenty of smoke but you know it's going to get done fast since they are small. To give them more time in the smoke and slow down the cooking process, you just cook them a little lower and slower then normal. 200°F for about 2 hours is perfect but since you know that the ham is ready to eat before you even put it in the smoker, you can cook it more or less depending on what you like. I like to use pecan, maple or hickory with ham to get a really nice, robust flavor. Brush with beer barbecue sauce about 20 minutes before they are finished smoking. Serve with spiced pee wee potatoes (recipe below)

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Spiced Pee Wee Potatoes Serves 4-6

• 1 lb small new potatoes (unpeeled)
• 2 T. veg oil
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 t. turmeric
• 2 t. ground coriander
• 2 t. black cumin seeds
• 2 t. sugar
• 1 T. chopped chives
• 1 T. chopped parsley (optional)

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, put in the potatoes, and boil for about 5 minutes. Drain. Heat the oil in a metal roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat; add the garlic, turmeric, coriander and cumin seeds, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, rolling them around to coat. Sprinkle with the sugar, and a little salt and pepper. Place in a 350°F oven and bake for about 30 minutes, turning them occasionally. Just before serving, sprinkle with the parsley and chives.

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Special Beer Barbecue Sauce for Kabobs

• 1/4 cup of Jeff's original barbecue sauce (purchase the recipes)
• 1/4 cup of beer (or less, depending on how thick you want the sauce to be)

Add both ingredients to a mixing container and mix until well blended. Great on the ham and the pineapple!

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