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Old 01-23-2014, 10:13 AM
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BlackHeart BlackHeart is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Definitely
Here's the Christmas ham


For the ham:

Adjust receive in ratio to weight.
This recipe was for 10lbs of pork shoulder.

8 cups water
4 tsp cure #1
3 oz salt (90g)

Mix and disolve ingredients.
Cut hatch marks into skin / hide just barely through
Inject ham in many places. Especially around the bone to avoid bone sour.
Keep injecting till it won't take any more, and you've hit each muscle.

In remaining brine add:
1 tbs each - garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, thyme, sugar
4 bay leafs
1 tsp sage

Put ham into 5 gal pail.
Pour spiced brine in.
Ensure ham covered. (I did 2 in the same pail so I had sufficient brine)
If you don't, mix up the water/salt/cure ratio above and add till covered.
Don't be afraid to add other spices you think will work.

I put a heavy glass bowl on top of the hams to keep them under water.
Leave in cold area, preferable around 40 F- refrig, winter unbeaten garage. You don't want them freezing or getting too warm.
Cover and Let hams cure for 7 to 10 days....longer won't hurt. Top up Water as needed.

Smoking day:

Remove and rinse hams.

Cut a piece off, and fry up. If its even a bit too salty soak the hams in fresh water for an hour, test, and repeat if necessary.
Remember that smoking will consentrate the saltiness a but more.

Put the hams to air dry ( I used a small space heater to speed it up, but you don't want it too close or it will over dry areas) Once they Are tacky to touch, into the smoker on low heat (120-140F) for 5 hours, turning and rotating every hour. You'll need a drip catch pan too.

Rub with cracked pepper and chopped fresh thyme leaves.
Turn heat up (180F) and smoke till reddish brown.
Check internal temp. Want to reach 145F If need, finish in 300F oven....watch closely.

Done. Refrig. On day your going to eat, put in roaster with grate on bottom and bake for 1.5hours at 350F. Don't use the drippings from this to make gravy.....it's too salty.
__________________


And the Turkey pieces

For the turkey, it the same recipe.
Make sure to get it tacky otherwise your wasting smoke.
skip the crushed peppercorns and fresh thyme.
And the second stage of smoking can be at 240F
And get the internal temp to 180F for the finish (safe for poultry)

Last edited by Pixel Shooter; 01-23-2014 at 11:52 AM.
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