Fresh Ham – not cured, brined or ‘ready to cook’ (We used a 13 pound cut from Tony’s Meat Market). It is actually a leg of pork. It does take several days, but well worth the effort.
Ingredients:
The Brine:
- 4 liters of water
- 1 1/2 c of kosher salt
- 2 c brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp pink salt (insta cure #1) (1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of meat) (NEVER DOUBLE)
Directions for Brining:
- Stir all ingredients together until dissolved. This brine can be multiplied as needed, and if you are doing a whole ham, you will probably need to double it. DO NOT DOUBLE THE PINK SALT THOUGH.
- The ham should be completely submerged in brine.
- Flip daily (or every other day at a minimum). Brine 1 day for every 2 pounds of ham.
The Smoke:
- The smoker should be set to 225° and a fruit wood should be used for smoking. Figure a half hour of smoking time per pound of ham.
- The ham should be trimmed of all skin and the fat cap prior to going into the smoker.
- Take the ham out of the brine and fully dry it before putting it in the smoker.
- Smoke the meat to 130 degrees.
- Apply the glaze and wrap in aluminum foil. If using a full ham (24+ pounds) you will need to double the glaze.
- At 145-150 degrees pull the ham and rest for an hour in the foil wrap.
- Serve hot for best results.
The Glaze:
- ½ c brown sugar
- 2 Tab bourbon
Serves: A lot! Rule of thumb, 1/2 pound bonein meat per person would be generous. Also, how much other meat is being served?
Source: Jackie Faulk Wolfgang