Need a little help from forum friends. I am smoking an 8lb bone in ham (ready to eat) and two pork loins. One is 5lbs the other is 3.5lbs. Having a late Xmas for family and don't want to disappoint. I want all the meat done at roughly the same time but I'm not sure how long each will take. If someone could help me out on roughly how long each of these will take? Plan on smoking at 225* with apple wood. I have a smoke hollow 44" dual burner smoker. Pretty new at this so any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.
2 pork loins and a ham
- Thread starter rico13gt
- Start date
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- Aug 27, 2008
- 5,170
- 409
OK, a couple questions to get a better picture here: what finished temp do you want for the pork loin? 145* is the minimum recommended, but should still have plenty of juices @ 155-160* (160* is medium/well)...I finished mine to just under med/well and never had a dry pork loin at those temps.
Also, is the ham a picnic?
Minimum recommended safe internal temp for precooked ham is 140*.
Here's the goods on safe temp temps:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Safe_Minimum_Internal_Temperature_Chart/index.asp
The actual time will vary from one smoker to another,especially between horizontals and verticals (horizontals seem to have a bit better convection efficiency, thereby cooking faster at a given chamber temp) and the Smoke Hollow 44" vertical is not familiar to me. Without experience with the smoker, I would have to settle on a baseline for 225* chamber temp of 1-1.25hr/lb for the loins if finished to approx 155*, and 1.25hr/lb for the ham, if picnic, finished @ 140*, but I would also recommend adding some time for error. You can always keep them warm at a minimum temp of 140* in a covered pan if they get done early. Apple smoke should be very good for the ham and the loins, alike. Be sure to check internal temps with a verified or calibrated thermometer before pulling from the smoker, of course.
Eric
Great info thank you. The game I bought is a cheap ham since its something new to me. It's not a picnic I believe it said something like bone in butt portion. Not sure and I'm not home to check.
As far as the loins I would like them to be medium and then let them rest to get about medium well. I like rare steaks but not pork. I'm not to concerned about them not bing done I'm concerned on my timing. When you say I could leave them in a covered pan do you mean in my smoker or in the oven or just left out?
The smoker I have is a vertical smoker. I don't have any problems running at 225*. I was leaning towards apple but was thinking of starting with maple when I start with the ham. Don't think I can go wrong with either.
As far as checking temps. I have a maverick 732 I believe for smoker temp and meat probe. It's the wireless one with alarms. Didn't want to go cheap there. I also have a digital meat thermometer for when I have smaller cuts and multiple meats going at once.
Thanks for the help guys. Ill try and take pics and post them as I try this.
As far as the loins I would like them to be medium and then let them rest to get about medium well. I like rare steaks but not pork. I'm not to concerned about them not bing done I'm concerned on my timing. When you say I could leave them in a covered pan do you mean in my smoker or in the oven or just left out?
The smoker I have is a vertical smoker. I don't have any problems running at 225*. I was leaning towards apple but was thinking of starting with maple when I start with the ham. Don't think I can go wrong with either.
As far as checking temps. I have a maverick 732 I believe for smoker temp and meat probe. It's the wireless one with alarms. Didn't want to go cheap there. I also have a digital meat thermometer for when I have smaller cuts and multiple meats going at once.
Thanks for the help guys. Ill try and take pics and post them as I try this.
- Aug 27, 2008
- 5,170
- 409
You're most welcome for the info.
Yes, to clarify, holding in a covered pan meaning to hold the food at temp, placed in the oven or smoker. Although most electric ovens won't go below 170*, not sure, but gas probably won't, either. A roaster oven would likely work, also, as long as the thermostat will allow you to set to the desired temp. In any case for holding at temp, I like to have a temp probe in the meat to verify, especially when holding for a few hours, so I know it's safe. It's all about the danger-zone temps of 40-140*.
What makes holding at temp for extended periods a bit tricky is if you can't get the temp right...too hot and the food will continue cooking, too cool and it's not safe to eat if the time is too long. For shorter holding, if 150* is the most stable temp you can get, it doesn't really hurt, but if for 4-6 hours, then your ham will continue cooking, as an example.
The butt portion ham is a bit bulkier than the picnic, so it may take a bit longer to heat through than the 1.25hr/lb. Maple for the start of the ham? Yeah, baby!
Anyway, starting the pieces a bit earlier than you expect them to take is you best course of action, then hold at temp if needed. The ham going in first of course, then the larger loin, and the smallest being last. Also, keep in mind with opening the smoke chamber door to add another piece of meat or to tend smoke wood, water pan, etc, the overall time for the pieces already in the smoker will be increased due to heat loss from the smoker and getting back to stable temps again. Judging all of this is pretty difficult at best, but starting early gives you some insurance for being ready on time. It adds some challenge to the equation when cooking to temp, and temps are your best indicator of the safest and highest quality product. Highly experienced cooks may be able to get an individual piece of meat cooked on time, every time, on nearly a daily basis, because they do it quite often and know their cut and weight of meat and their cooker very well...they're working in a much more controlled environment than we do. For the backyard cook, we work with irregular weights and cuts of meat, the environment in which we cook is constantly changing (weather), so the variables we work with are almost never the same. Even a professional cook would find these conditions difficult to overcome, until they've gained some practical experience.
Most folks aren't accustomed to cooking to temp, going by time only, based on a recipe for cooking in an oven (for example), and even different ovens cook at varying rates, just as smokers will. Internal temp of the meat is the only reliable way to go. Now, if everyone could to get the timing down for their cooker, knowing how all the variables will effect the outcome...that's the real challenge.
I digressed...food for thought.
Yes, do keep us up to date...I'll keep my eyes peeled for pics!
Eric
Yes, to clarify, holding in a covered pan meaning to hold the food at temp, placed in the oven or smoker. Although most electric ovens won't go below 170*, not sure, but gas probably won't, either. A roaster oven would likely work, also, as long as the thermostat will allow you to set to the desired temp. In any case for holding at temp, I like to have a temp probe in the meat to verify, especially when holding for a few hours, so I know it's safe. It's all about the danger-zone temps of 40-140*.
What makes holding at temp for extended periods a bit tricky is if you can't get the temp right...too hot and the food will continue cooking, too cool and it's not safe to eat if the time is too long. For shorter holding, if 150* is the most stable temp you can get, it doesn't really hurt, but if for 4-6 hours, then your ham will continue cooking, as an example.
The butt portion ham is a bit bulkier than the picnic, so it may take a bit longer to heat through than the 1.25hr/lb. Maple for the start of the ham? Yeah, baby!
Anyway, starting the pieces a bit earlier than you expect them to take is you best course of action, then hold at temp if needed. The ham going in first of course, then the larger loin, and the smallest being last. Also, keep in mind with opening the smoke chamber door to add another piece of meat or to tend smoke wood, water pan, etc, the overall time for the pieces already in the smoker will be increased due to heat loss from the smoker and getting back to stable temps again. Judging all of this is pretty difficult at best, but starting early gives you some insurance for being ready on time. It adds some challenge to the equation when cooking to temp, and temps are your best indicator of the safest and highest quality product. Highly experienced cooks may be able to get an individual piece of meat cooked on time, every time, on nearly a daily basis, because they do it quite often and know their cut and weight of meat and their cooker very well...they're working in a much more controlled environment than we do. For the backyard cook, we work with irregular weights and cuts of meat, the environment in which we cook is constantly changing (weather), so the variables we work with are almost never the same. Even a professional cook would find these conditions difficult to overcome, until they've gained some practical experience.
Most folks aren't accustomed to cooking to temp, going by time only, based on a recipe for cooking in an oven (for example), and even different ovens cook at varying rates, just as smokers will. Internal temp of the meat is the only reliable way to go. Now, if everyone could to get the timing down for their cooker, knowing how all the variables will effect the outcome...that's the real challenge.
I digressed...food for thought.
Yes, do keep us up to date...I'll keep my eyes peeled for pics!
Eric
- Aug 27, 2008
- 5,170
- 409
Sure does make me want to smoke another loin...I gotta say, the plate looks good enough, but seeing all the bacon, loin and ham in the roaster oven hangin' out stayin' warm & happy...mmm-mmm-mmm!!!
It doesn't get much better than that...I need to get after my dinner now! Thanks for the reminder!
Eric
It doesn't get much better than that...I need to get after my dinner now! Thanks for the reminder!
Eric
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