Hamonster


 
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WoW someone knows what he is doing.

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Hey Guys - your comments please? You think I have time to prep and execute on this for this Easter? Figure I would ask and get comments. I would need to overnight some pink salt probably and get started right away. Not sure if I have enough time??

Maybe not a monster - but starting from a fresh ham. Also have 3lb or so of belly I could toss in the tank as well.

One challenge - no pink salt would need to overnight maybe.

I could do a really nice sprial ham - but what's the fun in that
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Done that before.

Was going to do lamb but now have a request to do ham instead.
 
Ray, I think I cured mine in around a week. Pump a ton of your cure in with a syringe and you should be fine.
 
As long as you pump well and - important - your fridge is not too cold, you should be okay in a week.
 
Kevin in your photo - skin is off and just the fat is scored? Like the look and noticed J's comments about getting lost while injecting.

So you guys brined then just smoked in the WSM to 140's?

Kevin did you post a recipe for the rub/glaze you mention.

Any special brine recommendations that you guys like/d other than the Ruhlmans's recipe?

I should have the #1 Pink Salt in a by Thurs/Fri.

If I don't see anything special I'll probably just follow Ruhlman's basic recipe for American Style Holiday Ham from his book.
 
If you mean the pic of the fresh ham, no, that is skin on, scored. That ham is uncured. Instead, I flavor-brined for several days, made a paste rub, then smoke-roasted. There is a description of the brine and rub. (Here.) I mostly do fresh hams this way. I prefer small cuts cured - bacon, tasso, prosciutto, et al. Not so much hams. I will occasionally but I tend to get bored with ham.

The curing brine I use when I do cure is based on this.
 
Thanks J/Kevin. Went to the local Restaturant Depot yesterday. Had the whole hammonsters. Too big for this time around. Would like to do the carving and rendering. But I have a LOT of rendered leaf lard in the freezer, don't need that. And don't want skin on as I have a short brine period.

Making up 5 gallon finished of brine so I will have more than enough.

Using the Ruhlman book recipe for ratio but using Kevins spice mix. I did do some mods on the sugars, minor.

Boiling down the salt/sugar/spice as we speak and the tank is in the fridge chlling.

When the local butcher calls to tell me my fresh ham is in (15 lb or so bone in) I'll just need to pick it up, unwrap, rinse, inject and dunk until next Friday/Saturday.

I'll probably only have time to do a once and done smoke/cook. Not a reheat to serve. We'll see.

Oh shoot - need to take the 3lb of belly out of the freezer to dunk it as well.
 
From Thursday - messed up and posted this follow up in the wrong thread
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I was in a hurry to get this dunked. Called the butcher (Colonial in Manoa). Told them I wanted it "now" if it was in.

Want it prepped? No. "Come get it now"

Turned out it was a whole from Leidy's, saw them take it out of the case. Typical then skin on, maybe 1/3 skin removed.

Found and whacked the aitch off readily, removed the skin most of the fat. Injected with the "vet monster" injector. Felt kind of like the vet in the HBO series "Luck" Smiler

Cut needle for the bone work, then the regular for the rest. I used those heat proof rubber bands to make a cross pattern so I didn't loose my way. This thing is totally bloated now and I'm pretty sure I was all over in and out.

In the drink now.

So I see I need to watch for about 38-40. What if it pushes higher in the fridge? Just curious what the upper end would be. I'll give it the IR gun every couple hours now till things settle out.

Positive I can keep it at the sweet spot though.

It's settled at around 40.5 to 41.5 last couple days on the turn.

Can't wait. Couldn't fit the bacon in but I should be able to keep this brine and dump the bacon in for the next week or so - correct? I would think there's No reason I need to toss the brine after I pull the ham.
 
Pulling from the tank sometime today to give it a 12 hour rest in the fridge. Planning to smoke/cook tomorrow and reheat for Sunday.

Charcuterie book says to cook to 155 in internal I'm thinking of pulling from the WSM at 145 internal. What do you folks think?

Figure I'll follow the instructions otherwise and smoke for 2 hrs @ 200 then cook at 325. Going to glaze as well. Plenty of glaze examples about but if you have one you like point me to it
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Jay - thanks for the original post and details that helped me along the way. Kevin - thanks for the additional details/pointers.
 
Great post Jay! I made my first ham (a puny 7lb picnic)for Easter on Saturday. I turned out pretty good and received rave reviews from my family. Thanks to all for some great guidance and inspiration to try something new.
 
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