Ham a la Bear for Thanksgiving!

[mr parx]

Using Bearcarver's awesome guide, I'm smoking a big ol' shank ham that our local had on super sale:  Six dollars for any ham, with a thirty dollar purchase. Which would have been perfect, but they were out of turkeys!  I didn't know what else we needed, and only had about $20 worth of supplies, so I had to contact the Mrs., who got me out of there for only sixty five dollars.  I should have made 2 trips and gotten a second ham!

I got the chimney going, coals laid out in the Minion Method in my trusty El Cheapo Brinkman [sup](tm)[/sup], sprinkled with applewood chips, and started trimming that ham.  I put slices in it for catching the drippings.  Ham is on a metal rack in an aluminum pan.  Just for fun I splashed some apple juice on it, and added a little to the pan, to flavor the drippings. 

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

I couldn't believe the thickness of the fat (I think I smoked a butt portion last time).  This shank is going to be master-basted!  

 

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

Dumped the chimney in one end of the coal bowl, put the ham on the bottom rack and the fat tray on the top rack.  

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

The ECB may be a little warped.  There was a lot of smoke escaping.  I had to seal it on the fly.  Some paper towels wrapped in foil, smushed into the appropriate shape, and this thing would pass a NASA inspection!

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

I'll check the coals in 90 minutes or so, but it's time for breakfast.  I'll post updates, unless I get distracted and forget!

-parx

 

[SmokinAl]

Great start!

Al

 

[mr parx]

 
Great start!

Al

Thanks, Al!  I was JUST reading your fried bologna posts from earlier this year.  Got me craving some!

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Thanks, Al!  I was JUST reading your fried bologna posts from earlier this year.  Got me craving some!

Funny you say that, because I just made some bologna about a week ago.

I had been out for a couple of months!

It's so much better than the stuff they sell in the store.

Al

 

[mr parx]

The Shanksgiving Spectacular is coming along!

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

 

[Bearcarver]

Looking Great already, Mr P. !! 

Save those shriveled up fat & skin pieces when you're done too!!

I like chewing on them, and if you have a Dog, He'll go nuts over them!!

Be Back--

Bear

 

[mr parx]

 
Looking Great already, Mr P. !! 

Save those shriveled up fat & skin pieces when you're done too!!

I like chewing on them, and if you have a Dog, He'll go nuts over them!!

...

Absolutely.  The dog and I will have to come to some sort of agreement. We both go nuts over them!  

Best,

-parx

 

[jetsknicks1]

Looking great! I'll be doing one of those this weekend.

 

[mr parx]

Whoops!  As I feared, I was easily distracted, because I checked the temp, and it was over 170!  I didn't expect it to even be close to finished.  I hadn't even glazed it.  So, I yanked it out of there, brought it in, wrapped it in foil, and put it in the fridge.  

No pics yet, because my phone battery died.  You'll have to wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid, to see the Q-view of my attempt at the Charred-Shank Redemption!

Those shriveled bits of fat were delicious, of course, and I probably have 1 1/2 pounds of them left.  And maybe two pints of juice/drippings, etc., in containers and in the fridge for tomorrow's gravy.

Sorry, Bear, I didn't do it justice.  Last Easter's ham was amazing.  This one is just delicious.  

Oh, well. There's no plate like ham for the holidays!  

Best to you and yours,

-parx

 

[mr parx]

UPDATE: I unwrapped it because guests came over and wanted to see it.  Again, not the best, because it's a little overcooked, but Lordy it's still so good!  Not going to carve it until tomorrow, but here's some pix, including the leftover basting fat!: 

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

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• mr parx
• Nov 23, 2016

 

[Bearcarver]

 
UPDATE: I unwrapped it because guests came over and wanted to see it.  Again, not the best, because it's a little overcooked, but Lordy it's still so good!  Not going to carve it until tomorrow, but here's some pix, including the leftover basting fat!: 

It doesn't look Dried out, so it must still be Awesome!!

170° is a bit high, but it shouldn't have ruined it.

Bear

 

[mr parx]

Well, it was delicious.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. Here's the leftover meats (turkey, ham, pork loin, Cornish hens, not including the homemade sausage). My friends know how to guest-host!

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• mr parx
• Nov 24, 2016

Here's the ham.  Not bad at all.

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• mr parx
• Nov 24, 2016

And the leftover meats.  What a day!  Time to pack it all up.

Best,

-parx

 

[donegotfat]

Looks like it was devoured for sure!

Love the looks of the ham, great looking smoke.

 

[SmokinAl]

Nice job!

Everything looks delicious!

Al

 

[mr parx]

Thanks for the kind words, the guidance, and for coming along for the ride.  It's SweatPants Weekend!  Enjoy!

-parx