Question on double smoked ham

[Hap]

Been here for a while, have much more to learn than add.

In the double smoked ham recipe, at the end it calls for cooking the ham @ 200 or so until it reaches 170. On a larger ham, 10+ lbs, wouldn't that take quite a few hours, given the small difference between cooking and final internal temp?

Thanks,

Hap   

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Hap;

Welcome to the forum.

Though I've always wanted to try this recipe I haven't gotten around to it. I know the recipe states to take it to 170°F, but the new USDA guidelines recommends to reheat it to 140°F; if you are reheating a USDA package ham the first time. To be on the safe side, because you are not reheating it to eat right after you opened the package, it would be better to reheat to 152°F. That will shave off some cooking time, though I'm not sure if the glaze will set at that temperature. 

The meat is already cooked, so the typical method of reheating a fully cooked ham is to reheat in the over at 325°F for 10 - 15 minutes per pound. As a buffer, you may want to try multiplying the cooking times by 1.5. For example cook 15 - 23 minutes per pound. It doesn't state it in the recipe, but after removing the ham from the refrigerator, let is sit on the counter at room temperature for 1.5 - 2 hours, prior to placing it in the oven.

If you make this recipe, let us know how it turns out.

[Hap]

Will do. Bought a 11lb half ham, and am going to smoke it tonight. Will serve it at a party Saturday. I'll have to cook it on a grill Saturday as there is no access to a regular oven there. Will pat a pan between burners and the grill then do ham in another pan. Don't have a digital camera or smart phone, so I'll have results but no pix.

Thanks.   

[Habanero Smoker]

Definitely let us know how it turns out.

[Hap]

Sorry for long delay. Followed the recipe The ham turned out well. Bought a small whole ham, 10-11 lbs. Can't remember the exact time in the smoker, but that, like always it takes longer than I thought it would. Wrapped t-shirt wrapped ham in saran wrap and left in the bsmt fridge from Wed night to Sat afternoon. Took it out of wrap and t-shirt and heated it up in a tin on top of a pizza oven (only real choice I had). Definite smoke flavor throughout the ham, After the first cut, the insides were still juicy. None was left for snacks late, so it must have been good. I think I used Jim Beam oak, but I have to remember to take notes as my memory is uh, smoky. Thanks for the help.     

[tskeeter]

Hap, one of the things I have found helpful to aid my failing memory is to make up a "smoke plan" before I start my smoking efforts.  This gives me a step by step guide to what I am going to do. I usually start with the time of day that I need to begin each step, some brief comments and guidelines about the step, such as temperature settings, flavor of puck used, and so forth.  If I find during the smoke that I need to change something, I make a quick note on my "smoke plan" so that the next time I go to do something, I have a guide for what I did the last time.

As an example, I'm frying a couple of turkeys for a neighborhood get together on Saturday.  My plan says buy about 12 pound turkeys.  (That size fits in my fryer well.)  Start warming the oil at 1:30.  (Fryer pot is marked for oil level for 12/13 pound bird to prevent boiling over.)  Bring oil temp to 350.  While oil is heating, inject bird with garlic butter.  Three cloves of smashed garlic sauteed in one stick salted butter.  First turkey in at 3:00 for, I think, 3 minutes per pound, to an internal temp of about 170.  FTC until second turkey comes out.  Second turkey in at 4:00.  Carve first bird at 4:45 or when second bird is done.  Carve second bird when first is done.  Dinner at the neighbors at 5:30.

Having a plan means I have a guide for my shopping list, I don't worry about forgetting things, and I don't need to figure out a schedule each time I do this.  (This is the 5th annual turkey feed.)  And I have a guide to work from if I'm doing one turkey or three turkeys.  Just adjust everything by an hour.  Having a plan also makes things repeatable.  I know exactly what I did last time.  And I have notes about what to change to improve things.  On of my early notes was to allow more time for heating the oil and to increase the oil temp so I wouldn't have as much temp drop when the bird went in.

So that I can use my plan time after time, I keep them in a three ring binder in one of those sheet protector things.  This keeps them from getting smudged and hard to read, getting lost, or getting all torn up.     

[devo]

There are many logs out there for keeping track of your smokes and recipes. They are useful so you don't make the same mistakes twice. Google one, download it and stick to it. The recipe site has some helpful aids you can use
http://www.susanminor.org/users/Hab/Executable_Files/Bradley_Smoke_Log_%283%29%281%29.pdf

Yes all this info has been put out there for the general public to use by forum members. Hopefully if the marketing team decides to use it they will give credit where credit where its do.