Grant Cunningham
TVWBB Pro
Kevin’s Smoke-Roasted Fresh Ham
A fresh ham is nothing more than the uncured rear hindquarter of a pig; the cut, when cured and smoked, becomes the prepared ham we’re all familiar with.
Trouble is, neither my wife nor I are big fans of ham. It’s great as an ingredient, or maybe as a sandwich every so often, but to just eat a slice of ham isn’t high on either of our lists. So, when we had our last pig butchered, I asked the slaughterhouse to give us fresh hams rather than cured hams.
The big problem is that there don’t seem to be a lot of recipes for this cut of the pork, which is lamentable — because the leg roast is delicious!
I started a thread asking what to do with these things, and someone linked to an old thread by one Kevin Kruger, who (over several different threads) divulged his method of preparing them. I gathered all the thread fragments, made a few slight changes to suit our taste, and this is the recipe I’m using. I’ve made this a couple of times now, to rave reviews (and not just my own!)
Brine (adjust for roast size; this is just enough to cover an 8-lb roast):
1qt water
1 cup apple or cranberry juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt
Half-dozen whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
If there is a fat cap or skin on the roast, score in a cross-hatch pattern to allow the brine to penetrate. Brine in the refrigerator for 48-72 hours.
Rub (enough for a 8-10 lb roast):
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp coriander
1/2 tbsp dry thyme
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground white pepper
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cumin
Slather the roast with mustard; apply the rub generously.
Prepare the grill for smoke roasting. This is set up like you would for a “low and slow” smoke, but the running temp is higher: 350 degF. Cooking time will be approximately 3-4 hours, depending on the size of the roast (and if there is a bone present.) Cook to an internal temp of 145 degF, then pull and let rest for an hour. Slice as you would a ham: against the grain, in 1/4” slices.
A fresh ham is nothing more than the uncured rear hindquarter of a pig; the cut, when cured and smoked, becomes the prepared ham we’re all familiar with.
Trouble is, neither my wife nor I are big fans of ham. It’s great as an ingredient, or maybe as a sandwich every so often, but to just eat a slice of ham isn’t high on either of our lists. So, when we had our last pig butchered, I asked the slaughterhouse to give us fresh hams rather than cured hams.
The big problem is that there don’t seem to be a lot of recipes for this cut of the pork, which is lamentable — because the leg roast is delicious!
I started a thread asking what to do with these things, and someone linked to an old thread by one Kevin Kruger, who (over several different threads) divulged his method of preparing them. I gathered all the thread fragments, made a few slight changes to suit our taste, and this is the recipe I’m using. I’ve made this a couple of times now, to rave reviews (and not just my own!)
Brine (adjust for roast size; this is just enough to cover an 8-lb roast):
1qt water
1 cup apple or cranberry juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt
Half-dozen whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
If there is a fat cap or skin on the roast, score in a cross-hatch pattern to allow the brine to penetrate. Brine in the refrigerator for 48-72 hours.
Rub (enough for a 8-10 lb roast):
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp coriander
1/2 tbsp dry thyme
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground white pepper
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cumin
Slather the roast with mustard; apply the rub generously.
Prepare the grill for smoke roasting. This is set up like you would for a “low and slow” smoke, but the running temp is higher: 350 degF. Cooking time will be approximately 3-4 hours, depending on the size of the roast (and if there is a bone present.) Cook to an internal temp of 145 degF, then pull and let rest for an hour. Slice as you would a ham: against the grain, in 1/4” slices.