Well Thanksgiving has past...........I thought I'd share some thoughts and pictures of the ham we smoked. As mentioned in part of a another thread we took advantage of the SMF20 discount on LEM to buy a couple of ham brine kits. We settled on the Sweeter-than-sweet kit. The 13 pound ham was injected and went on brine on 11/14.
The LEM kit called for seven days of brine. We held the ham in brine until the day before Thanksgiving. 12 days. We then pulled the ham out and put it in the fridge overnight to dry.
I knew we were going to have a rough day smoking when I put the probes in the yet-to-be-fired smoker.
Fired the smoker up at 9:15am. The smoker wanted to run at 262 +/- and we kept fighting to bring it to 250. Added the apple chunks. Ham went on at 10:00am. Estimated 5-6 hours.
At 3:00pm the IT was 120. We finally gave up and let the smoker run at 262 +/-. At 6:00pm the ham was sitting at 136 IT. So much for 5-6 hours. The smoker started climbing to 285 +/- and we decided at this point the let it run at the higher temp. We pulled the ham at 6:35pm when the IT hit 140.
Covered it with foil to rest to 20 minutes or so and then onto the cutting board.
Trimmed up the short end and headed to dinner at 7:00pm. A little later then we like to eat.
We did not get a plate shot. It was a long smoke at 8 1/2 hours and we were ready to eat. The wife made a butternut squash and apple bake, with brown sugar, raisins, and lots of cinnamon. I threw together astuffing dressing using Jimmy Dean, onions and celery, country loaf, and plenty of poultry seasoning. The sides were very good.
The ham??? that's another question. The ham was cooked and it was moist, but was it salty. I was reading some of the posts here, after-the-fact, and a few mentioned the LEM ham kits were salty. I wish I would have read them before buying the kits. I'll likely toss the brown sugar kit altogether.
So I should look at the positive............I wanted to try a prepackaged kit, and LEM has a decent reputation. I tried it, and now I'll go back to the formula used here on the SMF site where the salt is much more controlled.
But like I tell the wife; You don't know if you don't try................
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Despite all the things going on here and abroad, we still have plenty to be thankful for at home, and in our community.
The LEM kit called for seven days of brine. We held the ham in brine until the day before Thanksgiving. 12 days. We then pulled the ham out and put it in the fridge overnight to dry.
I knew we were going to have a rough day smoking when I put the probes in the yet-to-be-fired smoker.
Fired the smoker up at 9:15am. The smoker wanted to run at 262 +/- and we kept fighting to bring it to 250. Added the apple chunks. Ham went on at 10:00am. Estimated 5-6 hours.
At 3:00pm the IT was 120. We finally gave up and let the smoker run at 262 +/-. At 6:00pm the ham was sitting at 136 IT. So much for 5-6 hours. The smoker started climbing to 285 +/- and we decided at this point the let it run at the higher temp. We pulled the ham at 6:35pm when the IT hit 140.
Covered it with foil to rest to 20 minutes or so and then onto the cutting board.
Trimmed up the short end and headed to dinner at 7:00pm. A little later then we like to eat.
We did not get a plate shot. It was a long smoke at 8 1/2 hours and we were ready to eat. The wife made a butternut squash and apple bake, with brown sugar, raisins, and lots of cinnamon. I threw together a
The ham??? that's another question. The ham was cooked and it was moist, but was it salty. I was reading some of the posts here, after-the-fact, and a few mentioned the LEM ham kits were salty. I wish I would have read them before buying the kits. I'll likely toss the brown sugar kit altogether.
So I should look at the positive............I wanted to try a prepackaged kit, and LEM has a decent reputation. I tried it, and now I'll go back to the formula used here on the SMF site where the salt is much more controlled.
But like I tell the wife; You don't know if you don't try................
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Despite all the things going on here and abroad, we still have plenty to be thankful for at home, and in our community.
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