Smoked Ham Recipe – Fabulous Flavor

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I have had many requests for a smoked ham recipe and I will attempt to help however allow me to inform you right up front that it is quite a long process to cure your own hams and involves things like saltpetre, instacure #1, etc..

A ham is basically a pork shoulder that has been brined in curing salts for a length of time and I want even get into wet brining vs. dry brining.

Most folks purchase a cured ham from the supermarket and simply heat it up in the oven and serve it but I am here to tell you that you can greatly influence the flavor of a ham by adding some rub, marinade, sauce, whatever and smoking it in your smoker with hickory, mesquite, apple, whatever wood you like to use.

The Process

Simply apply a thin layer of regular yellow mustard onto the ham, sprinkle a cup or so of my rub recipe on the ham and massage it into the meat all over the ham making sure to get into every nook and cranny.

Let the ham sit on the counter while you go outside and prepare your smoker for 225 degrees. Once it is up to temperature and smoke is exiting the smoke chamber you know it is ready to do the job.

 

Smoke the Ham

Place the ham in the smoker either by itself or right along with a christmas turkey and let it smoke at around 225 degrees for 3-5 hours.

I like to throw in a pre-cooked ham when I am smoking my turkey for christmas or thanksgiving. It gets some nice smoky flavor and the guests always love the variety and being able to have both turkey and ham or to choose one or the other.

Note: multiple meats in the smoker should not increase the cooking time. The turkey will require about 6-7 hours for a normal 12 pounder and the ham will be done in 3-5 hours. If you want them both done at the same time then place the turkey in first and the ham in about 2 hours later.

You can also use a regular ham or even a spiral sliced ham if you like and it will still work wonderfully.

Everyone will be asking for your smoked ham recipe and you and I alone will know that it is really not that big of a secret but feel free to act as if it is;-)

I believe everyone who aspires to be a great cook expecially one who cooks outdoors on the smoker should be willing to experiment and to make notes of everything they do. This is how great recipes are born.. this is how great smoked ham recipes are born!

Get a notebook,, write it down and be willing to make adjustments based on your own tastes and on the feedback of your family and guests.

Enjoy your smoked ham recipe and if you do make some earth shattering discoveries during an experiment that you think I would like to know about then feel free to share it with me and my readers by commenting below.

Enjoy!!

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17 Comments

  1. Wasted my time wading through a bunch of fluff, finding no recipe, only advertisements for the “author’s” products.

  2. Wasted my time wading through a bunch of fluff, finding no recipe, only advertisements for the “author’s” products.

  3. You made a comment of doing a dry cycle in your smoker at max heat. How long should this cycle be and how often should you do it?

  4. Hi there – I attempted to be added to your email list and this is the message I received – just wanted to let you know. THANK YOU

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  5. I have a 6.5 lb bone in ham i bought to make for Easter. I want to smoke it. I have a charcoal smoker that i use wood chunks in. How long do you think for it to cook? My grill/smoker is called a Brinkman smoke n grill. It doesnt have numerical temp readings. Just a standard dial that shows and ideal area.

  6. BRuce,
    my guess is you either had too much wood, or not enough air flow. If the dampers are closed too much, the smoke will start to layer creosote on the meat giving it that wood/dirt flavor in my experience. Almost a tingly bitter taste. What I’ve read and learned is to look at the smoke coming from the top. You want it to be almost invisible. Hope this helps.

  7. I have a new master built. So far everything has been wonderful. Any recipes for ribs and chicken would be great. tonight I’m smoking a ham from your directions. Let you know how it goes.

  8. Jeff I have a ham that has already been smoked, my question would it be ok to brine this ham again before I place on smoker?

    Thanks

    1. Mark,

      Ham is what it is due to a pretty hefty brining/curing session at the factory. I don’t think brining would do much for it although I don’t think it would hurt it either. I have never tried brining an already cured ham.

      I usually just give them a few hours of extra smoke and they are wonderful.

  9. Jeff: My last smoked prime rib was a disaster, I cooked it to perfection, it looked great
    but the smoke was so overpowering that no one could eat it. It tasted like it had been rolled in charcoal? What did I do wrong?

    1. i need alot of recipes for my smoker i love cooking outside i have 2 smoker an going to buy a towable one .so anything you can send me will help thank you and GOD bless

    2. Did you leave your dampers all the way open? Did you put in too much wood?

      I’m a rookie “smoker” but my co-worker taught me A LOT and corrected a lot of mistakes I would have made such as adding too much wood and having the dampers closed so the meat is heavily smoked.

      What you want to do is…..

      -You don’t want your smoker billowing with white smoke.

      -Don’t add wood chips whenever your smoker isn’t smoking. Once every 1.5 hours is plenty

      -Keep those dampers open. If you close them creosote builds up and adds a bitter, “dirty” flavor

      -Ensure your smoker is preseasoned if its new.

      -If its an older smoker, run a dry cycle at max temp and wipe down some of the build up.

      1. Putting on to much wood is always one of the things a novice does, a little smoke goes a long way on most items you are smoking. Leaving your dampers open half way is a good place to start. Making sure you wood is wet (soaked for at least 45 min before starting). replace wood chips no more than every hour. A package should last at least two Smoking events. If not you are replacing the wood too soon.

        Don

  10. Jeff

    I have your book and follow your recipes each email you send. I have yet to screw it up to the point where people Complain, believe me this by itself is a miracle! LOL

    For our Brunch at work I brought a two smoked pork loins I did the night before. They last about 30 minutes, everyone asked where I had bought them! LOL

    Right now its Christmas Eve and I am smoking a ham using your recipe again. You need to write a second volume to your Smoking cook book.

    Thank you for helping a rank Novice like me learn to use a smoker.

     

    Don