Ham info requested

quote:

Wyndell Ferguson--

A fresh ham is smoked about the same as a pork shoulder. I like to trim the skin and fat off (not all, but leave about 1/4" fat on it) leaving about 3" of skin along the shank portion. Put a dry rub on the night before and wrap in plastic wrap. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. This will help draw the moisture from the top layer and turn the rub into a gel. Before putting it on the smoker I put a light coat of vegetable oil over the ham, then I put on more rub.

Start the smoking at a lower temperature than usual, around 225F, and a little heavier smoke. After 1 to 1 1/2 hours I baste with an oil-based mop, and again at 3 hours. After that I mop every hour with a apple juice and vinegar mop. After the second oil-based mop, I move the temperature of the smoker up to about 250-275F until the ham is fall-apart tender (1 1/2 hours per pound or an internal temperature of 185-190F.) Let the meat sit for about 30 minutes wrapped in foil. Pull the ham apart and put some sauce on it. I like my Mustard Vinegar sauce. I add just enough sauce to keep the meat moist when I reheat it. When I serve it, there isn't much evidence of the sauce, and I serve the ham with sauce on the side. To reheat, I put the meat in a Ziploc bag that is closed about 2/3-3/4 of the way, add some Worcestershire sauce, a sprinkle of rub and maybe a splash of cider vinegar. I reheat in the microwave in 1 minute increments, mixing the meat thoroughly after each minute until it's hot. This helps trap moisture, keeps the meat from drying out and heats the meat quickly!