First time curing fresh ham.

[Bbs383ci]

We recently butchered a hog and I took one of the hams and cut it in half. I did this so I would have smaller chunks of meat to work with while figuring out the process of brining a ham.

I opted to try the Brown Sugar Kit from LEM Products. It requires you to pump the brine in the ham and then soak it in brine for up to 7 days.

My ham weighed around 7.5lbs so I did the brine and injection for 7lbs of meat.

In the LEM Kit they have a bag that you use for the injection cure and then a larger bag that’s for the soaking cure.

I set the ham in a large Tupperware bowl to start the injection process. I injected all the cure that I could and then transferred everything into a stainless pan I mixed up the soaking cure and poured it over the ham. Then I took what was left over from the injection bowl and poured it in with the soaking brine.

I let it brine for 6 days and I put it on the Brazos Smoker this morning around 8:40. Been running temps between 180-210 trying to keep a thin blue smoke on it.

Hoping smoke time will be around 5-6 hours.

 

[Bbs383ci]

Smoked it for about 4 hours and then wrapped it up and finished it in the oven.

To us the smoke flavor was a touch strong. I think on the next one I’ll smoke it for about 2-3 hours then finish in oven.

It is really good traditional ham taste. I like my ham a little sweeter but my wife wanted to try it plain to see how we could improve it.

The Lima beans with bacon and sausage are excellent as well.

 

[Hijack73]

Is the smoke too strong after a rest period (like the next day)?

Just curious, as I smoked some bacon the other week that took on almost no color during a cold smoke then when I went to hot smoke to get some color on it the color went from a 3 to an 11 REALLY quick and is quite smoky in taste. Not unbearable, but VERY pronounced - even after a week plus of mellowing time.

 

[tallbm]

Smoked it for about 4 hours and then wrapped it up and finished it in the oven.

To us the smoke flavor was a touch strong. I think on the next one I’ll smoke it for about 2-3 hours then finish in oven.

It is really good traditional ham taste. I like my ham a little sweeter but my wife wanted to try it plain to see how we could improve it.

The Lima beans with bacon and sausage are excellent as well.
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Hi there and welcome!

That looks fantastic! I used that kit once and my hams were waaaay too salty.
If you ever want to venture into doing your own cure for these things it's pretty simple and you get to tune it the way you like. There is lots of good knowledge here to help with that.

I look forward to seeing your next smoke :D

 

[SmokinEdge]

Looks delicious. Glad you are happy and yes Injection curing is a must with leg hams. Nice work. We have a few different ways to cure hams here without buying cure packets, homemade. Reach out if itrested

 

[pc farmer]

Looks delicious. Glad you are happy and yes Injection curing is a must with leg hams. Nice work. We have a few different ways to cure hams here without buying cure packets, homemade. Reach out if itrested

Yeah. And a much better product.

 

[pc farmer]

Smoked it for about 4 hours and then wrapped it up and finished it in the oven.

To us the smoke flavor was a touch strong. I think on the next one I’ll smoke it for about 2-3 hours then finish in oven.

It is really good traditional ham taste. I like my ham a little sweeter but my wife wanted to try it plain to see how we could improve it.

The Lima beans with bacon and sausage are excellent as well.
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Looks like a good meal

 

[Nodak21]

Hello, wondering if you would be willing to share your injection brine to cure hams at home. Recently butchered pigs and would like to cure the hams. I saw Dave’s recipe but I can’t find the ingredients readily available. Any other recipes? Thank you!

 

[tallbm]

Hello, wondering if you would be willing to share your injection brine to cure hams at home. Recently butchered pigs and would like to cure the hams. I saw Dave’s recipe but I can’t find the ingredients readily available. Any other recipes? Thank you!

Hi there and welcome!
I don't think that guy is around anymore BUT here is a post on how to do a holiday ham. This is done with a pork butt instead of a back leg ham but the process is all still the same. Just be sure to measure everything out properly and to really inject all along (parallel) and perpendicular to the bones.

In 2 days, I'm getting my hands on 2 pork butts to begin curing and turning into hams for thanksgiving :D

[edit - putting in the link, I failed to the 1st time around]

Thanksgiving - How to: Holiday Ham from Pork Butt / Pork Shoulder!!!

So many people love a good holiday ham. My family gatherings are so large that we have ham at both Thanksgiving and Christmas along with whatever dishes other people bring. No food is wrong to in addition to the traditional ham and turkey dishes. This is a very detailed "How To" on making an...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[Nodak21]

Hi Tallbm,
I appreciate the response and look forward to trying the recipe. I didn’t see a link or a recipe in your reply. I will be attempting to cure 1/2 of a back pork leg into a ham

 

[SmokinEdge]

Be more than happy to help you out Nodak21
Do you want the recipe to your ham piece weight? Or just general in grams to Kilograms?

 

[Nodak21]

I think I would be good with just ingredients and percentage vs grams or kilograms.. thank you so much for your help!

 

[tallbm]

Hi Tallbm,
I appreciate the response and look forward to trying the recipe. I didn’t see a link or a recipe in your reply. I will be attempting to cure 1/2 of a back pork leg into a ham

Oh sorry hahahaha failed to hit paste, here it is: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/how-to-holiday-ham-from-pork-butt-pork-shoulder.318276/

 

[SmokinEdge]

I think I would be good with just ingredients and percentage vs grams or kilograms.. thank you so much for your help!

Brine recipe for ham: To the weight of meat.

Salt) 1.5%
Sugar) .75%
Cure #1) .25%
Kitchen Basics No salt vegetable broth) 10% to meat weight.
Sodium phosphate) .5% to meat weight.

Dissolve the dry into the slightly warmed broth ( 90-100* just about body temp)

Then inject all of this brine into the meat piece. Careful to cover any bones with injection. Work in a grid no larger than 1 1/2”

 

[Nodak21]

SmokinEdge and Tallbm,
Thank you so much for the help. That was very generous and I appreciate it very much!!!

 

[nlife]

I use the one SmokinEdge posted. It seems to have become THE ham standard around the forums.

Only downside for me is that shortly after I found the recipe everyone in my slice of heaven stopped carrying KB Veggie broth. I found a sub, but it was a bit of trial and error.