Homage to a Bear, Double Smoked Pork

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disco

Epic Pitmaster
Original poster
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SMF Premier Member
Oct 31, 2012
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Canadian Rockies
An old adage says that imitation is the greatest form of complement. Recently, Bearcarver posted a wonderful thread on double smoked ham:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/141903/double-smoked-hams-times-4-step-by-step

It looked so delicious I had to give it a try. By good fortune, a local grocery store had a sale on precooked ham shanks.

As recommended by Bearcarver, I trimmed the fat. The meat processors had cut most of it already so there was very little.


As the student following the guru, I cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch slashes in the ham facing upwards.


Into the Bradley, preheated to 150. I used a blend of hickory, cherry and oak in the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker and put the little bit of fat in a foil pan with holes in the bottom over the ham.


Here are the times and temperature (another thing I learned from Bearcarver).

9:30 preheated Bradley to 150 F

10 am put ham in Bradley and increased heat to 190 F IT of ham 50 F

Went to town to run some errands.

12:30 IT of ham 90 F

1:30 IT of ham 96 F

2;30 IT 101 F increased temperature of Bradley to 210 F

3:30 IT of 111 F

4:30 IT of 118 F

5:30 IT of 125 F

Here is the ham at 5:30 as I took it out to glaze it.


I brushed the recipe for the glaze from Bearcarver's post over all surfaces.



6:30 IT of 135

Pulled ham from Bradley and let rest for 15 minutes.



I carved it up and served dinner.



This is the ham that was left AFTER we had dinner and shows you what $8 Canadian of on sale ham shank looks like. This reminds us that barbecue was originally a method to take cheap cuts of meat and make them taste great. There will be many great sandwiches and casseroles from this ham!



The verdict: This was absolutely delicious. The ham was tasty, sweet, moist and deeply smoked. The only change I would make (this is like someone who does paint by numbers telling Da Vinci how to paint) is to stop the smoke after the glaze. The smoke flavour was great but a little strong for a Canadian like me. I think Bearcarver likes a stronger smoke flavour than I do. The smoke on the sticky glaze gave just a tad too much smoke flavour on the surface of the ham for me. However, this is a mild personal preference and I reiterate, the ham was great!

The glaze is very good and I recommend it. I will experiment with some of my favourite glazes now that I have followed Bearcarver's recipe exactly but it will be hard to improve on this simple, sweet and spicy glaze.

I would like to add a thought. I don't think we appreciate how valuable this forum is. If it didn't exist, Bearcarver might have passed this recipe on to a few people, only a few of which would have tried it. Thanks to this forum, a great technique that many of us would never have thought of has been spread through many people who will also pass it on.

I could have spent years learning how to do a pulled pork but SeenRed, KathrynN, Bearcarver, and many others not only passed on their wisdom but walked me through it as I posted. How much would you pay for that kind of education?

Thanks Bearcarver. The recipe is great. From a fat old Canadian, SALUTE!

Disco
 
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Reactions: Bearcarver
Wow that looks great.

Bearcarver knows his stuff.

Alot of great and helpful people here.

Hoping to get help on my first pp smoke tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
Wow that looks great.

Bearcarver knows his stuff.

Alot of great and helpful people here.

Hoping to get help on my first pp smoke tomorrow.
Bearcarver is one of the experts who makes this forum so valuable. Even better, there are so many other! For example, Nepas has taught me a lot about sausage making and SeenRed kept me on the straight and narrow through my first PP and KathrynN has been so encouraging. 

I suggest you post your pulled pork as you do it and you will get the same kind of support. I would also love it if you posted a whole lot of Qview!

Disco
 
drool.gif
  Nothing but yummies right there!  That looks amazing!    I've yet to do a ham... but now it's on my radar.
 
 
Disco....my Husband loves ham.  Thanks to this thread...and Bear's....I am soooo going to have to do one now.  Can you image how good that ham would be in my Red Beans and Rice?  Oh just the thoughts! 
biggrin.gif


Great thread and great ham!

Kat
 
You did Great, Disco!!!!

And thank you for all the nice compliments!!

And I don't blame you for cutting back on the smoke time.

I am a "smoke hound", but I also use a lighter smoke than most.

Keep up the Fantastic work!!!

Bear
 
Disco....my Husband loves ham.  Thanks to this thread...and Bear's....I am soooo going to have to do one now.  Can you image how good that ham would be in my Red Beans and Rice?  Oh just the thoughts! 
biggrin.gif


Great thread and great ham!

Kat
I never had red beans and rice until I took a trip to Santa Fe about 12 years ago. A smoke house restaurant there was serving it. I've loved it ever since. I did crisped new potatoes with the ham but I thing you might have force me to do a second meal with red beans and rice.

As for a great thread, it pales compared to Bear's. The double smoked ham thread of his is just one of dozens that have inspired me to try so many things to date and have given me a list I may never complete.

However, one thing he didn't say on his thread, the ham is even better the next day. I thought the smoke was a little strong but it smoothed right out overnight. I just had one of the best ham sandwiches I have ever stuffed in my pie hole. Once again, Bear - SALUTE!

Disco
 
You did Great, Disco!!!!

And thank you for all the nice compliments!!

And I don't blame you for cutting back on the smoke time.

I am a "smoke hound", but I also use a lighter smoke than most.

Keep up the Fantastic work!!!

Bear
That's a real compliment coming from you, Bear, thanks.

As I just responded to Kat, the smoke taste was a lot smoother today. Now I have a dilemma. Do a make a great ham that is a little smokier and have excellent ham for sandwiches and casseroles or to I make an excellent ham that is only great for sandwiches and casseroles. What a pleasant problem to have.

Disco
 
Disco,

That looks awesome. I have never smoked a ham but now I have to try using your and Bear's techniques.

Scott
Thanks for the kind words but let me be absolutely clear, this is Bear's recipe and technique. I copied it as best I could.

That being said, do it! It is incredible.

Disco
 
Yesterday, there was a Toastmasters event at my place. There was supposed to be 18 people attending. In the last few days before the party that increased to 30. I cooked a beef roast to serve cold and I pulled the ham from this project out of the freezer to accommodate the extra. On the day of the party, only 22 showed up. The pulled pork I had made in an earlier thread and the ham from this project were the most popular items. There were left overs and I invited people to take some home. The pulled pork and the ham went instantly.

Thanks to Bear and all of you who helped me with the pork.

My friends have been deceived into thinking I know what I am doing!

Disco
 
I thought I smelled something good in that SouthEasterly wind we had yesterday!!!!

And Thank You for the kind words!!

Bear
 
Disco...Looks like I'm late to the party. Don't know how i missed this thread. It looks great!

Happy smoken.

David
Thanks, David. However, all I did was follow Bear's instructions. Obviously, that was wise considering the kudos at the party.

Disco
I thought I smelled something good in that SouthEasterly wind we had yesterday!!!!

And Thank You for the kind words!!

Bear
Hey, Bear. I would have never have dreamed of double smoking a ham without your post. 

Disco
 
Great looking smoke there Disco! Bear's posts were the original reason I finally joined here after lurking for many years. My boys really like his caseless pepperoni sticks.
 
Great looking smoke there Disco! Bear's posts were the original reason I finally joined here after lurking for many years. My boys really like his caseless pepperoni sticks.
Darn you DS! Now I have to look those up and add them to my growing list of projects to try!

Thanks for the kind words. 

Disco
 
Great looking smoke there Disco! Bear's posts were the original reason I finally joined here after lurking for many years. My boys really like his caseless pepperoni sticks.
Darn you DS! Now I have to look those up and add them to my growing list of projects to try!

Thanks for the kind words. 

Disco
Thanks Sailor & Disco !!

If you like sticks a bit more Spicy (not a whole lot), use the ingredients list on my "Smoked Bear Loaf", but follow all of the other instructions on the "Unstuffed Beef Sticks".  They are both in my Signature.

I love hearing good reports from my "Step by Steps"!!!

Thanks Guys,

Bear
 
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