Smoking a pre-cooked ham

[smokin_all_night]

Back home it was common to buy a pre-cooked ham and take it to the local BBQ joint and have it smoked. The flavor was wonderful.

I have purchased a ham for Christmas and want to smoke it but need some advice.

The ham is a Wilson smoked Pit Ham boneless, pre-cooked.

Obviously what I want to do is impart a Hickory wood flavor without over cooking it since it is pre-ccoked.

Should I try and keep the temperature low? How long to smoke?

Regards,
Aubrey Page
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OTBS #007

 

[Dutch]

Aubery- I used to get asked this question a lot when I was a butcher (especially this time of year).
Since the ham is pre-cooked, you only need to take it up to 145 degrees. A couple of weeks ago I reheated a boneless ham; I slathered the topside (you choose what side you want up :P ) with yellow mustard and sprinkled a rub of 3/4 cup sugar in the raw, 2 teaspoons dry mustard (for kick) and a 1/8 teaspoon of ground clove. I placed it into my GOSM with 3 hickory chunks and smoked it at 230 degrees until the internal temp of the ham reached 140 degrees. I removed it from the smoker and tennted it with foil and let it rest. The carryover cooking took it up to 155 degrees. The sugar melted and formed a glaze on the top of the ham.

If you're in a real hurry you can kick the heat temp. to 350 degrees, but forget the mustard slather and the sugar rub as the sugar has a tendency to burn. You can "paint" the top of the ham with the sugar rub mixed with a little water when the ham reaches 130 degrees or so, but watch it close.

Hope this helps.

 

[bob-bqn]

Aubrey, I've smoked amny pre-cooked and partially cooked hams. I like to cook them to a higher temperature than recommended, not necessarily for safety reasons, but because that's the way "I" like them.

I smoke them with a little hickory and pecan until they reach 175* internal temperature. It can take a big old ham quite a while to reach 175*.

I've injected them on occasion and glazed them while they cook. A few times I even topped them with sliced pineapple & cherries for presentation.

 

[smokin_all_night]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll keep the board posted for the results.

Regards,
Aubrey Page
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OTBS # 007

 

[smokin_all_night]

Hello Earl and Bob,

I said I would report back the results of smoking the pre-cooked ham. Well it didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t go well. The Wilson ham was a poor choice. It has a rind or skin around it that must be the second generation armor plating prototype for military vehicles of the future. I knew it was not going well when 4 hours into the smoke the ham looked exactly like it did sitting on the kitchen counter before I even started. It had not browned or taken on ANY smoke coloration at all.

Let me digress: I had decided to smoke it for about 6 hours or 165 degrees which ever came first. The smoker performed perfectly. I made good smoke at about 205 to 215 degrees for 5 ½ hours. I then removed the ham and wrapped in foil for another 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. The ham was exactly as if I had warmed it in the kitchen oven for 5 ½ hours. It was moist and very good. Wilson would have been proud. But thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not the point. It had NO smoke flavor. NONE! Nothing penetrated this miracle of modern armor technology that it was encapsulated in. It is obvious that Wilson intended that if you warm this ham in an oven it WILL turn out moist when you cut it. As NO moisture can escape (nor smoke penetrate) this miracle of modern science.

Now, the ham like Bob shows that has a natural skin would probably work great. I was worried that I would dry out a cut like that from the exposed cut end.

I guess in the end it was a success since I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t ruin the meal if you measure success with such a low threshold.

Regards,
Aubrey Page
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OTBS #007

 

[johnnyreb]

i cooked one yesterday along with some leg quarters at 250* for 5 hours with oak and it came out great, of course it wasnt a wilson, i think it was a cheap store brand. i like to score the skin with a crosscut (as you can see in the picture i didnt get deep enough :oops: ) to get some smoke and mop into the meat

 

[mikeold]

Dang Crazyhorse,

That looks like some mighty fine eatin'.

Mike

 

[spice]

If I'm going to do a boneless ham , I usually buy a Kretchmar Brand ham. I cook it at 220 for about 4 hours with Cherry Wood. Always comes out great.

 

[larry maddock]

glad i seen this thread-------
it reminded me of the 3 cherry wood logs i put up.
i will saw them into chips at friends band saw.

i will do i Cooks shank portion for my 1st ham.
its 7 3/4 lbs.

i got this for 99 cents a lb and froze.

i use most hams for seasoning after i cut a couple
of ham steaks off the end. the shanks seem to work best for me.

its also time for a ham bone and beans and cornbread.

 

[spice]

It's hard to beat a smoked Ham Hock and Beans!! With Corn bread ofcourse!!

Thanks!! now I'm hungry!!

 

[larry maddock]

yo spice,
is that a pabst blue ribbon next to the bud??.

this summer a local market started stocking longneck pbr.

its a good beer.

most of my beer is busch barbarian.

 

[johnnyreb]

that looks like an "old style" can

i like some PBR's if they are really cold