BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Smoking Techniques => Hot Smoking and Barbecuing => Topic started by: GABJR on September 27, 2007, 05:20:57 PM

Title: smoking pre cooked ham
Post by: GABJR on September 27, 2007, 05:20:57 PM
 ???Does anyone have any suggestions for smoking a pre cooked ham with the bone in ?
How long to preheat ?
How long to smoke ?
How long to heat ?
What temp ?
Thanks
Title: Re: smoking pre cooked ham
Post by: Habanero Smoker on September 28, 2007, 02:50:01 AM
If I smoked a fully cooked ham, this is how I would do it.

Precooked hams are usually precooked to a temperature of 152°F, partially cooked hams are cooked to a temperature of 127°F. So check with type you have. It will clearly state it on the package.

Preheat:
If it is fully cooked, you will still need to air dry it. Uncooked cured hams, I generally air dry for 8 hours at a temperature of 110°F - 120°F. This is important to dry the surface of the meat and form a good pellicle so that the smoke will penetrate and adhere better. For a fully cooked ham or precooked ham, I would pat the surface dry with paper towels and air dry in the smoker for 2-4 hours.

Smoke:
Place ham in the middle position of the smoker, rotating the ham from front to back after air drying. Next increase the temperature to 130°F - 140°F; add warm water to bowl, and apply 4 hours of smoke; I used maple.

Heat:
Since it is already fully or partially cooked you have a couple of options. After the smoke has been applied, you can take it out of the smoker. I like to let the smoke flavor mellow a bit before fully cooking it or applying a glaze, by wrapping in plastic and "aging" in the refrigerating for a day or two. You can skip the "aging" stage. Then finish in the oven like you would any precooked ham. Or increase the temperature of the smoker to 210°F-220°F.

Temperature:
If the ham was fully cooked, you only need to bring the internal temperature to 140° - 152°F or as high as 165°F; what ever you feel comfortable with; but 152°F is high enough. If you started with a partially cooked ham, you will need to bring the internal temperature to at least 152°F.
Title: Re: smoking pre cooked ham
Post by: winemakers on September 28, 2007, 02:55:37 AM
Smoking (and eating of) "pre-smoked" hams is one of our family favorites.  There are some out in this world that profess that the ham will not take up more smoke flavor, but my personal experience would disagree.  Habs did his usual and thorough job with his post, you will not be dissappointed with the results.  I have used hickory and even the devils wood, which I may add, would be my favorite but to strong for my kids and spouse.

Around easter, the local groceries go into the ham price wars and we stock up.  I get the largest I can find, parse it into 2 +/- lb. chunks and smoke away.  Ready for omlets, soup, chunked with pasta for the kids, dads late night fridge raids etc....