Cured hams

[cluckinchicken6]

I recently put some Boston butts in for curing as well as a deer roast trying to make hams I've made hams before and they always come out odd shaped off the smoker but still taste delicious. I was wondering if anyone ties up their cured meats kind of into a round shape with twine to make the cook a little more even and a better shape for a finished product and a better even cook or is it best to just leave Them alone

 

[daveomak]

Tying is a good idea to make the finished product pretty.. and it makes it uniform for cooking...  Good idea... 

 

[chopsaw]

I use roll netting on mine . Holds the shape real nice . 

 

[cluckinchicken6]

Yea pretty is ok I'm just looking for a more even cook it seems like the outside pieces of the hams I make get over cooked not due to temp because I smoke at 225 after the cure they seem to be more dense than before so they harden up and kind of break apart on the outside while trying to get a good center IT

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• cluckinchicken6
• Feb 5, 2017

 

[cluckinchicken6]

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• cluckinchicken6
• Feb 5, 2017

 

[cluckinchicken6]

So I tied them up they look like they will get a better cook this time but only time and smoke will tell

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• cluckinchicken6
• Feb 8, 2017

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• cluckinchicken6
• Feb 8, 2017

Forgot to take pictures of the hams but I took pictures of the deer ham and pastrami I cured

 

[ab canuck]

Looks good. The tie up looks good have you tried it after being tied? Did it help you out? I am looking at getting roll netting to do some of these. I used cheese cloth once after tying it turned out ok, Cheese cloth was a pain in butt to take off after.

 

[cluckinchicken6]

I'm smoking buckboard hams and the leg of deer ham tomorrow and that pepper venison pastrami Friday to make some ruebens so I will update with pics after smoke