It has been a while since I have smoked hams so I figured I would smoke a few for some friends recently. You just can't beat a smoked ham when it comes to flavor and the ability to feed a large number of people. They just absorb the smoke so well and when smoked properly they are one of the best tasting smoked meats.
I always buy hams from the grocery store that are pre-cooked and they turn out great. The hams I bought were half hams and were the shank end.
The shank end has a lot of flavor and the smoke from the wood really sinks in to make a great flavor. Recipes Tips - Info on Hams is a great site that explains the different variety of hams.
I made my dry rub out of brown sugar, paprika, pepper, seasoning salt, and a few other secret ingredients before applying liberally to the hams.
I smoked these 10 pound half hams for about 5 hours each at 275 degrees with pecan wood. From the pictures you can see how they had turned a dark brown on the outside and the "face of the meat had started to fall apart.
I used my Traeger Smoker which is an electric wood pellet fed smoker to cook these hams. With it 35 degrees outside you can't beat a smoker that you can really "set it and forget it".
Since pre-cooked hams are ready to eat even before you smoke them, you don't have to worry about getting them "done". The secret is to smoke them long enough to penetrate the ham with the right amount of smoke flavor and allow the ham to start to fall off the bone. If you cook them till they are 160 internal then great, you can slice them and they will turn out fine. But if you dare to enter BBQ Nirvana, then go to 195 degrees and have "pulled ham".
I like to leave my ham uncovered and let the outside of the ham darken but if you prefer you can wrap the ham in tinfoil after it reaches 165 degrees internal and let it cook on to 195 degrees internal so the outside still looks shiny/tan but still falls apart.
A smoked ham is going to be better than any oven baked pineapple glazed ham or one from the "old store" down the road.
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