Double Smoked Hams---Times 4 (Step by Step)

johnmeyer said:

 
A few notes from my Christmas day double smoke.

I read all of Bear's posts about double-smoked ham, as well as a dozen other threads on the subject here in the forum. I used a Kirland/Costco spiral ham someone gave to me (after he took a few slices of the ham for himself). Used my new AMPS with Jeff's "Pitmaster" blend filling just the first row (3 hour smoke). I put that into my MES 30". I didn't apply any glaze until after the first 90 minutes, and during that initial time I smoked at a relatively low (200 degree) temp. I then applied the glaze and smoked for the last 90 minutes at 270 degrees. Pulled at exactly the three hour mark. The internal temp was only 115 degrees, but I had no desire to get it to 130 or 140. As Jeff pointed out in his video (I've provided a link below, in case you haven't watched it), there really isn't much need to monitor or worry about temps when the meat has already been cooked.

This is about adding smoke, not cooking.

Things I learned:

1. I don't think there is much need for heat. Since I am using the AMPS, I don't have to get the MES hot in order to produce smoke. Because the ham is fully cooked and cured, there really isn't any reason to get it hot, unless I want to serve it hot immediately after removing from the smoker. As for "setting" the glaze, see my notes below.

Next time I will do the whole smoke at 160 degrees because the higher the temp the longer I have to wait before putting the ham into the fridge. I could do a cold smoke, but I don't think the cold smoke tastes quite the same (expert smokers, feel free to contradict this neophyte's assumption).

2. Next time I will not use any glaze during the smoke. I did some research on glazes, but only after I'd finished the whole thing. What I found out is that "Honeybaked" hams use a glaze that is carmelized using a blowtorch. This makes a lot of sense to me, and I think would create a MUCH better result, assuming you want a glaze (I note that quite a few people who have posted in this thread and elsewhere don't like glazes on their hams). In addition, when I added the glaze after 90 minutes, as I pressed it into the very warm exterior, it cause the exterior fat to mush around and deform. I could have avoided that by putting the glaze on before the smoke, but I think that might have reduced the smoke penetration. So, in the future I will smoke without any glaze, and then put the glaze on after the smoke has finished, and the ham exterior has cooled for 15-20 minutes. I will also slightly dilute the glaze so I can "paint" it on rather than rub it on, in order to minimize any damage to the exterior.

3. Next time I will use a glaze without cloves. Yes, I know that they are the traditional spice for hams, but I like cloves in cookies, not hams. Yes, I am strange. Once I put on the glaze, I will use the blowtorch. I have always like the Honeybaked taste and now that (I think) I know how their glaze is created, I'd like to try to duplicate that, but with the added benefit of having a really nice smoke on a much cheaper ham (Kirkland/Costco hams are about 1/4 the cost of a Honeybaked product).

Finally, on an unrelated note, at some point I need to post what I learned about lighting the 5x8 AMPS. I've read a hundred posts on this, and watched a few videos, and learned a lot. However, I still had problems, and was ready to give up. However, because I have faith in the people in this forum, and many of them say this is the greatest thing since smoked sliced bread, I kept after it. After a few failures (I just got it a week ago) I discovered that using a good heat gun, but without any torch or other ignition, produces an absolutely perfect result. It is repeatable, with no question about whether the smoke is going to extinguish. It is really easy, and the AMPS is ready to go in only about 5-7 minutes instead of 10-15 minutes. I'll try to get around to posting a video, probably sometime next week, or whenever I do my next smoke.

Thanks Bear for providing such a great guide on how to do this, and I hope you don't mind my adding a few twists and variations of my own!

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johnmeyer said:

 
Bear,

Thanks for that link. I actually viewed that video in my search for better methods of lighting the AMPNPS. I tried it, but it didn't quite work. However, using the heat gun got me to thinking: why do I even need a torch? I bought my heat gun for heat shrink tubing, but on the high setting, it gets hot enough to burn paint off siding. In fact, you can buy heat guns for this purpose. So, why not eliminate the torch and simply use the heat gun for the ignition? In addition to using it for ignition, I first do a pre-heat -- from the top, bottom, and sides -- of the entire length of chips. This provides an even better pre-heat than the somewhat dicey (IMHO) microwave preheat that some people recommend.

As with the more traditional torch method, there is still some art in not blowing too hard and getting the chips so red that they get a coating that slows down the smoldering. The objective, I think, is to get a big chunk burning, with a flame, and then let that flame burn for at least 2-3 minutes. Since a bigger chunk gets ignited (compared to first using a torch), and since a big chunk is heated to the point of almost burning, but not actually burning, when you finally get a flame, that flame gets them to that equivalent of what you want with charcoal, namely the entire briquet gray and slightly glowing.

But, like I said, I need to do a complete post about this, with video.

Thanks again for this now-classic salmon thread. I read it after I did my last salmon a few days ago, but am planning to follow your directions, especially the times and temperatures, the next time I smoke salmon in a few weeks.

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Workedtheworld said:

Bear, another take on putting the fat in a pan with holes over the meat is this. Put some ABT's (i.e.atomic buffalo turds aka jalapeno-cheese stuffed poppers wrapped in bacon) on a rack over the meat and let the dripping bacon fat baste as well. You can eat the poppers afterward and the ham is well basted.

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johnmeyer said:

 
I must have screwed up on how I worded my post. I am just using pellets at the moment, and all I was describing was a different way to light those.

However, you must be reading my mind because I want to try to use some "chips" I have which are actually part sawdust. They are a Smokehouse brand that I can get at an Ace Hardware less than a mile from where I live. I also plan to buy some sawdust from Todd and see how that works. I like his pellets, and I think they are pure wood (unlike the Trager pellets), but something in me keeps saying that I would have better taste if I could use wood that is an unprocessed as possible.

For anyone reading this post, I did try to reduce the small chips into sawdust so that I would be left with nothing but sawdust. I used my 38-year-old wedding gift Cuisinart (CFP-9). I used an old blade that I retired decades ago because it has a chip in the leading edge. I ran the chips for about a minute when suddenly all heck broke loose. I stopped the machine, and found that the inside of the blade drive had completely self destructed. Not only that, the friction from the dry chips rubbing against the bowl had partially melted the plastic.

The good news is that the wife was understanding, and the machine still works, after I scraped off all the melted plastic and ran some stale walnuts through it, using the good blade, to help season the plastic. I'm currently searching eBay for a replacement.

So, based on my experience, I would definitely recommend to NOT use your blender or food processor to try to reduce chips to sawdust. They are, after all, hardwood, and are definitely too tough to be pulverized by nothing more than spinning blades. I'm still thinking of other tools or methods that might create sawdust without contaminating the result (like a chainsaw would, because of the chain oil).

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johnmeyer said:

 
Cooking oil in my chainsaw??? I have some garlic-infused olive oil I've been trying to get rid of for years. I love the idea of feeding it to my chain saw.

Business idea: we could start a business selling specialty oils to chain saw owners. "make your chain saw smell like a fine French restaurant."

Does it work for gun oil as well?

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johnmeyer said:

 
Bear,

I'd heard some reference to your carving, but had not seen that post. Absolutely amazing, at every level. I don't have the talent for any of it, but even if I did, I wouldn't have the patience for all those "hair cuts" (pun intended). Loved the family of bears, and the picture of the real deal sampling some of your handiwork.

John

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tycho bray said:

 
This is about the 4th or 5th time I've done the double smoked ham - more or less by your method and I felt I needed to add my props to all the others here.  Been well received every time and really one of the easier things to do on a holiday.  (My other holidays are spoken for: Thanksgiving - smoked turkey, Christmas - prime rib, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day - Ribs.)

I follow your methodology except I use Chris Lilly's Spiced Apricot Sauce.

Well done Bear! 

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Bilgeslime said:

 
Bear, I like the way you think!

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dave17a said:

 
Long ago before I read this forum, I would beg any family members to give me there spiral spliced ham and let me smoke it. Smoke gets in between them splices damn pretty darn good. Add nothing. NOW..... Did ham and putting fat above, MMMMMMMMM! Thanks Bear for this one. Fat dripped on down like water.

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migraine said:

I love this technique but wonder how long I should cook a whole 17lb ham in my masterbuilt or should I sawz-all it into two halves and cook in my treager?
Thanks, Brian

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