Probably, a host of people are, currently, going online to search for “ How to smoke a fresh ham? ”

Why?

Well, it’s because they don’t know how.

As smoked ham is one of the yummiest ways to consume pork, many want to make one for themselves, but they find it hard to do.

Don’t worry!

Let me tell you a fact!

Smoking harm is not half as tricky as it might seem to be.

 

I am going to share with you everything on how to smoke a fresh ham in this article.

So should you desire to make a smoked ham, but never know where to begin, the following information might be what you have been seeking.

Where Should Ham Be Placed?

Well, ham is, in fact, a kind of pork, which is placed in the pig’s backside and covers most of all the hog’s shoulders of the rear legs.

 

As usual, ham is slightly more affordable than a loin of pork, and it serves more consumers.

Another thing to say is that fresh ham is different from cured ham. While pure harm is more similar to a baked or roasted cut of pork, cured one is preserved and made safe to eat via the salt application. So you can see that fresh ham allows you to season the meat to your taste and adjust needed spices more quickly, which is much more challenging to do with cured one.

What You Will Need To Smoke A Fresh Ham

Before jumping into how to smoke a fresh ham, I will list all the things that you need to prepare to make a smoked ham.

 

Smoker Charcoal: remember to keep a charcoal bag next to the smoker in case you need to add more to keep the temperature regulated. Fresh ham Rub ingredients: dried thyme, chili powder, dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and kosher salt. Pineapple juice Yellow mustard Spray bottle Meat thermometer Aluminum foil Wood chunks: The kind of wood is entirely up to what you prefer. I like to use a mixture of apple and oak wood or cherry and hickory wood though. Irresponsive of what type of wood you use, it is necessary to soak chunks before lighting the charcoal.

 

How To Smoke A Fresh Ham

Step 1: Lighting The Fire

First, you should remember that fresh ham regularly needs 15-20 minutes per pound to be entirely smoked. Therefore, you should take maximum advantage of your time.

You, for instance, preheat the smoker while preparing the ham. You see, this will save a fair amount of time for you. Then make sure that you already add the charcoal and start a fire.

After several minutes, the coals can ash over on top, and a glowing red will appear in the center. It’s time to continue and add wood chunks. And of course, close the cap, let the heat rise, and the smoke build.

Oh, wait! Remember to keep the temperature between 220°F to 230°F when you smoke a fresh ham.

Step 2: Preparing The Ham

With the preheated smoker, now let’s get the ham ready. Cut through the exterior of the ham skin in a grid formation. Be sure that you don’t cut into the ham.

You might wonder why you need to do this. Well, the reason is that this creates more surface area for the spice rub to cling to and makes the skin completely crisp up.

Next, you should coat the ham with yellow mustard. Not only will the mustard coat give some flavor, but it also helps the rub adhere to ham as much as possible. Now, it’s time to mix up all spices and apply them to the ham evenly.

Step 3: Smoking The Ham

Put the ham on the grates and close the smoker’s lid. Adjust the temperature to ensure it remains in the range of 220 – 230°F. Remember to have a stable amount of smoke all the time, putting more wood when needed.

Then spray down the meat with pineapple juice to keep the rub from burning, and to add a little bit sugar to caramelize the crust as well. But do it once an hour, keep in mind! As you open the lid, you lose the ideal temperature and smoke.

Keep monitoring the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, then quickly remove it from the smoker and loosely wrap it in aluminum foil. This helps to prevent the exterior from burning because it still cooks for the last hour.

Once you come back to the grill, you don’t need to baste the ham and only let it smoke.

Of course, you still need to monitor the temperature until it hits 160-170°F.

Another thing to do before the meat is ready to eat is applying a brown sugar glaze into the ham’s outside after it hits 170°F.

Step 4: Resting The Ham

After cooking the ham, you must the ham rest for 25-30 minutes at least before cutting it. This makes the ham redistribute evenly all juices driven to the ham center. So you will not lose much juice and have a softer cut when carving the meat. And whenever 25-30 minutes pass, you only need to serve it up and enjoy.

Final Thoughts

Well, you now have all the information on how to smoke a fresh ham . So are you eager to make a smoked ham for yourself?

Although smoking ham seems to be a bit daunting at first, it is actually something that you can do well as long as you spend little time on practicing and keep patience.

I hope aftering reading this article, you can make a tasteful smoked ham for your family, friends, and yourself. Don’t forget to share with us your stories in the comment section.