Leg of Pork


 
R

Rick Garcia

TVWBB Member
Thinking of doing a "Pork Leg" on my WSM and need your imput on some Pork Leg basics, i.e., best size/weight(bone-in) for the WSM, marinades(dry and wet), type of smoke wood, cooking temperature, etc.

Rick

WSM, OTG 22 1/2" withe Smokenator
 
Kevin: Thanx for the Reply! Not a ham as I will be cooking it raw and which is better; a front leg or rear leg? I will be buying it at a local meat market here in the country of Costa Rica.

Rick
 
A rear leg is known as a ham, often redundantly called 'fresh ham' to differentiate it from smoked ham.

I prefer hams over picnics and do a few a year but always one for Christmas. THe meat of a ham is much denser than the meat from a picnic, is not stringy, and is not as fatty. This said, I usually brine for 3 days if I do a whole one (about 18-21 lbs) or 1-2 if I do a half, in a flavor brine then smoke/roast at 325-350 to an internal temp of 150. After resting I serve sliced, often with a fruit-based sauce, like this one.

I crosshatch the skin before brining and the paste rubs I make get worked into the cuts before cooking.

A 19-lb fresh ham, brined in water with mango and passionfruit juices, salt, thyme, bay, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, alspice, cinnamon and clove. Rubbed with a paste of hot chile sauce, fresh garlic, shallots, thyme, brown sugar, coriander and ginger:

100_0434-2.jpg
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
A rear leg is known as a ham, often redundantly called 'fresh ham' to differentiate it from smoked ham.

I prefer hams over picnics and do a few a year but always one for Christmas. THe meat of a ham is much denser than the meat from a picnic, is not stringy, and is not as fatty. This said, I usually brine for 3 days if I do a whole one (about 18-21 lbs) or 1-2 if I do a half, in a flavor brine then smoke/roast at 325-350 to an internal temp of 150. After resting I serve sliced, often with a fruit-based sauce, like this one.

I crosshatch the skin before brining and the paste rubs I make get worked into the cuts before cooking.

A 19-lb fresh ham, brined in water with mango and passionfruit juices, salt, thyme, bay, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, alspice, cinnamon and clove. Rubbed with a paste of hot chile sauce, fresh garlic, shallots, thyme, brown sugar, coriander and ginger:

Kevin, Your "porker" looks great! Question, how much did it weigh before smoking it and how much weight did it loose after the cook. Thanx

Rick

WSM, OTG 22 1/2" with Smokenator

100_0434-2.jpg
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
It was 19 lbs pre-cooking. I don't know what the post cook weight was--less, obviously, but cooked to lower internals they do not lose a whole lot.
 
Wow. Care to post any details in terms of quantities for the brine and the paste? This looks/sounds so good I just might consider this instead of the Christmas day prime rib (I probably would miss the prime rib though :)) Well, if not Christmas then Easter.
 
I'm thinking maybe 1.5 gal brine did the trick. The ingredients are mentioned here; the paste is detailed below, here, and I'd guess I make about 1.25 c paste.

I brine for 3-4 days.
 
How soon I forget Kevin :) You gave me the ingredients a year ago! Should have looked it up in my saves.

Thanks anyway though. Definitely going to do a fresh ham for Easter. Going to stay with the Prime Rib for Christmas. All the guests look forward to/love that every year so don't want to throw a curve ball.
 
Yes, but no, the ham needs to be cured to taste hammy. Uncured it tastes like roast pork or smoke-roasted pork if using wood.
 
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