# Curing and smoking a 19lb fresh ham



## hipchef (Apr 29, 2012)

Hi All, I'm new to this site and wondered if any one cures and smokes their own Hams. We processed one of our pigs yesterday and I put one of the hams in a brown sugar cure this morning. Do any of you have any pointers for curing and smoking a fresh ham ????????  Thanks in advance...................Bill


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## bbquzz (Apr 29, 2012)

Welcome to the forum Bill, Wittdog is the the master at smoking and curing, I'm sure he will weigh soon.


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## Captain Morgan (Apr 29, 2012)

this will be a fun thread.  It might be better to post it in the Sausage Factory,
where Witt deals out the info on smoking fresh meats, making jerky and sausage
and such.  He's been busy, but he'll be along shortly.

In the meantime, keep posting pics.


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## bigwheel (Apr 29, 2012)

Hey Hip welcome Sir. Yep Witt be your man on this deal. Fine looking hawg you got there. I think its a bit more involved than rubbing it down and leaving it alone. Hope yall got that fine critter chilled down purty quick. Hawg killing is usually a winter activity..lol. Nearly know a person got to get some cure down along the bone..or you might wind up with a sour bone. Its like like the sour toe co*cktail like Griff enjoys. Sorta. Hopefully Witt will be here soon.


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## wittdog (Apr 30, 2012)

What did the instructions on the cure say?
What are you planning on smoking the ham in?

I remove the skin and trim the fat down to about a 1/4 inch.
I mix my own cure and the pump the Hams with it and then let them sit in the brine for about a week. 
The night before you smoke the hams soak the ham bags in vinegar you can add a small amount of liquid smoke so your ham doesn't have lines from the bag.  The vinegar makes it easy to take the bag off after the ham is cooked and cooled.

The smoking process takes about 36hrs. 
12 hrs at 125*(no smoke just heat)  then another 8 with smoke at 145* and finally the rest of the time at 165* (no smoke just heat) till the hams reach an internal temp of 152-155*. 

The long cooking time and low temps allow for a fully cooked product with all the fat still in the meat.  
The hams are best after a couple of days in the fridge.  If you try a piece right away it tends to taste a little funky. 


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## wittdog (Apr 30, 2012)

I like to start my hams in the smokehouse at 7pm Friday night. That gives me all day sat to smoke them and bump the temps up. They then finish up around noon Sunday.  
Any questions ask away.

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## hipchef (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks for the kind welcome. I bought some Brown Sugar cure from a local processor. THis is the cure mix they use for curing their Hams, Bacon and so on. The cure mix is a 1 cup of mix to 1 gal of water, I stuck the Ham many times with a long  filet knife so it will help peneterate the bone and center. This is a picture of some dbl cut pork chops I cut off the loin................Bill


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## hipchef (Apr 30, 2012)

I called the place I bought the Brown Sugar Cure mix, they gave me the wrong info on the cure mix, it's 1# per Gal of water. I knew the one cup didn't sound right, good thing I called them. Is there a faster way of cooking and smoking the Ham, or is low and slow the full proof method you have figured out..........Thanks for all the info and help..............Bill


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## wittdog (Apr 30, 2012)

I've done the fresh curfed ham low and slow.  If you go with a higher temp you'll render the fat out during the cooking process.  You could McGyver a smokehouse out of a hot plate and some type of container.


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## hipchef (Apr 30, 2012)

wittdog said:
			
		

> I've done the fresh curfed ham low and slow.  If you go with a higher temp you'll render the fat out during the cooking process.  You could McGyver a smokehouse out of a hot plate and some type of container.



HI WD, good reasoning, I will try out you method next week when the curing is done. I have some Apple and Cherry wood on hand, what would preferred choice of wood..................Bll


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## wittdog (Apr 30, 2012)

I use saw dust it smolderes well. I like hickory with a touch of cherry.  With the wood you have available I would go mostly apple and some cherry to finish. To much cherry will make the meat dark. The apple wood might be to mellow for such a large cut of meat. 



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## Nick Prochilo (Apr 30, 2012)

Yeah, watch the cherry wood, it makes everything dark!


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## bigwheel (Apr 30, 2012)

Yes Nick..if a person cooks a brisket with Cheery wood it will turn it so black..you can make a white mark on it with a piece of charcoal. You purty danged smart for a feller from North of the Mighty Red. Color me..impressed.


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## wittdog (May 1, 2012)

His son is with a girl from Texas 


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## Nick Prochilo (May 1, 2012)

bigwheel said:
			
		

> Yes Nick..if a person cooks a brisket with Cheery wood it will turn it so black..you can make a white mark on it with a piece of charcoal. You purty danged smart for a feller from North of the Mighty Red. Color me..impressed.




I heard tale of it from a purty smart feller from Texas!


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## hipchef (May 4, 2012)

I had to try out my new smoker today before I smoke a 19 lb ham next week. The Pork belly came out a gold color. I smoked the belly with Hickory and finished with Apple wood........


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## Nick Prochilo (May 5, 2012)

I'd eat that!


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## wittdog (May 5, 2012)

Looks great. Let's hear some info on the smoker.  


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## hipchef (May 5, 2012)

I smoked the Pork Belly to 135 degrees low and slow. This is the pork belly sliced into bacon. I had to have a BLT after all that waiting. The bacon was not to salty with a nice smokey flavor and good taste................


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## bbquzz (May 5, 2012)

WOW ... Bacon is like beer, it is all good, some is just better than others, yours looks GREAT!


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## Griff (May 5, 2012)

I'd eat that sandwich.


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## hipchef (May 5, 2012)

Thanks you all for all the help on my first smoking adventure. I will be smoking the Ham on Monday and Tuesday using the Hickory/ Apple wood and maybe a finish with Cherry wood. I learn a good lesson, the difference between Grilling and smoking is, Grilling takes about 2 beers, Smoking takes about 2 six packs, good lesson learned........


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## Captain Morgan (May 5, 2012)

that bacon looks really good, can't wait to see the ham pics


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## swampsauce (May 5, 2012)

Now THAT is a masterpiece!!


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## wittdog (May 5, 2012)

Looks great. Let's hear some info on the smoker. 


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## bigwheel (May 6, 2012)

Fart smeller?


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## hipchef (May 10, 2012)

Hey all, I smoked the Ham on Tuesday, this is what it looked like after it was smoked. I used Hickory at the start, Apple to smoke the rest of the way.






This is my smoker set up

http://www.brinkmann.net/images/product ... 21-S-l.jpg

I use a cast iron skillet on the botton tray of the smoker to keep the direct heat away from the meat being smoked. This method gives me the freedom so I can control a low/slow smoking process.


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