Want to smoke a whole ham, advice?

[Tiger90]

Wanting to smoke a whole ham 18+lbs, does anyone have any advice?

[GLC]

What smoking facilities do you have? It's often difficult to create the environment of low temperature and significant smoke without something designed for the purpose. If I wanted to smoke a whole ham, unless I just badly wanted the experience of doing it myself, I would take it to a local smoker, which many barbecue places can do, and let them do it.

Otherwise, Brinkmann and others make inexpensive smokers available at hardware stores. With a real smoker, it's not technically difficult. Your biggest chore may be selecting a ham. Don't think that "water-added" hams are necessarily bad. For a first attempt at smoking, a cooked ham with added water may save the project from producing a dried out smoked ham.

Like I said. I won't be doing enough smoking to get ahead of the learning curve, so I buy a good ham and let a pro smoke it.

[Tiger90]

Have an Orion smoker, the ham is a fresh ham from a hog I had butchered a month or so ago

[PrincessFiona60]

Welcome to DC. I only have one question...which end do you light? :) Looks like our smoking crew is not on yet, today!!! Be patient, they will be lining up to help you out! Have fun!

[Al Pine]

This question seems to come up this time every year....for good
reason.

Is it actually a "Ham"....meaning, has it been cured?
If it hasn't been cured it's just Pork; if you smoke it or cook it;
it will be very good, but it will just be Cooked Pork, suitable
for pulling (shredding), if it is a "Ham", it has been cured...
probably with being smoked, and only needs to be heated up as
it is ready to eat as it is.
You shouldn't have any problems heating it up in your Smoker,
and giving it more smoke flavor.

[pacanis]

I thought he said it was a fresh ham.
Around here that would mean an uncured, unsmoked pork shoulder (?). I think shoulder... Basically a big hunk of pork roast that they make cured hams from.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by pacanis

I thought he said it was a fresh ham.
Around here that would mean an uncured, unsmoked pork shoulder (?). I think shoulder... Basically a big hunk of pork roast that they make cured hams from.

A fresh ham is a raw rear leg of a hog. Not smoked, cured or cooked. The cut of meat is called a ham and the cured & Smoked product is also called a ham. Pork shoulder typically refers to the front leg quarters.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

A fresh ham is a raw rear leg of a hog. Not smoked, cured or cooked. The cut of meat is called a ham and the cured & Smoked product is also called a ham. Pork shoulder typically refers to the front leg quarters.

Yeah, OK, I just didn't know what part of the pig it came from. I knew it wasn't cured or smoked. Thanks.

I took the OP's post to mean he wants to make a smoked, cured ham, like "lunch meat" ham. but maybe didn't realize that those hams were not only smoked, they are also cured.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by pacanis

Yeah, OK, I just didn't know what part of the pig it came from. I knew it wasn't cured or smoked. Thanks.

I took the OP's post to mean he wants to make a smoked, cured ham, like "lunch meat" ham. but maybe didn't realize that those hams were not only smoked, they are also cured.

It's the curing that makes the meat pink.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

It's the curing that makes the meat pink.

Yep. You sure don't get a smoke ring from side to side Not on a hunk of meat that big.

I've been wanting to try to make my own bacon someday.