Double Smoked Ham

Most hams you get from the store are cold smoked already cooked hams. This will show you how to add more flavor to the ham and smoking it again while reheating it.

For this you will need a good ham, the better the ham you get the less fat that will be on it. For this recipe I used a 15 lb Hillshire Farm ham, a good rule of thumb is for true indirect, low and slow BBQ, that if it will take you more than 2 hours to cook get a good piece of meat. Why go through all that work for a bad tasting piece of meat.

First you will be making the injectable you will need

1    Cup    water
1    Cup    light Karo
1/8 Cup   Amaretto Liqueur
4    Tbsp  Real 100% maple syrup
1    Tbsp  Rum extract
1    Tbsp  Orange juice concentrate
1    Tbsp  Vanilla extract

In a medium sauce pan, heat slowly the water, Karo syrup, and Amaretto. Stir frequently and heat very slowly to avoid scorching of the sugars. Once blended add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir. When the mixture has a uniform color remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

For injecting the ham I use a syringe with the holes on the side of the needle not the end of the needle to allow what you are injecting to be spread out more throughout the meat.

Before injecting make sure you place the ham in a metal pan to catch the extra juices from going all over the place.

inject the ham in a grid like pattern on top of the ham every inches.

Once you are done injecting the ham wrap the ham in 2 layers of plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Using good lump charcoal is a must, even the lump charcoal gives off a great smell.

I use Weber chimney to start my charcoal. A little newspaper in the bottom of the chimney, fill the top with lump charcoal and 15 minutes later, good to go.

Heat the smoker/grill to 250 degrees for at least hour before putting the ham on.

Remove the ham from the fridge and allow it to get close to room temperature.

For wood, you can use wood chips but I use larger chunks of wood they last much longer so less times of opening the cover. For this I am using hickory wood chunks that is soaked for at least an hour.

Place the ham in some kind of rack that it prevents the ham for sitting in the fat that drips off into the pan.

Slit the entire ham to help the fat drip off the ham and to allow the smoke to reach the ham.

Once the smoker is to temperature place the ham on the smoker. Pour apple or pineapple juice under the ham to help keep the ham moist but do not let the juices touch the ham.

I am using a thermometer with a temperature probe so I can monitor the temperature of the ham without opening the lid. For a precooked ham you want the ham to reach 140 degrees.

Place the wood chuck directly on the charcoal.

While the ham is cooking you can make the glaze for the top of the ham, ingredients you will need are:

1/2 Cup  Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup  Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup  Honey
2    Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1    Tbsp Worcestershire
2    Tbsp instant coffee grounds
1    Tbsp dry ground mustard
2    Tbsp orange juice concetrate

Mix in a sauce pan and slowly heat it, once blended set to the side. (You might need to reheat it a little bit before putting it on the ham)

After about an hour and a half rotate the ham a 180 degrees so the ham heat consistently.

After about an hour after rotating it, take and instant read thermometer and check the temperature throughout the ham. Once the ham has reached about 130 degrees it is time to apply the glaze. Apply half of the it then wait 20 minutes and apply the rest.

Check the ham for a consistent temperature of 140 degrees throughout the ham. Once the ham has reached 140 degrees remove it from the smoker.

Let the ham set for at least 15 minutes before slicing it.

I use an electric slicer to cut ham, to me it seems like it gives me consistent size slices.

With this ham being injected and not overcooked the ham will remain juicy.

Next time you will want to cook 2 hams, one fore you and one for everyone else.