I started with a whole rear leg of pig and boned it completely.
If you start at the shank end and work up following the femur you make less of a mess.
I removed the bone and split the joint at the knee keeping the hock intact to smoke separately.
Using a meat trussing needle and heavy butcher twine I tied the ham securely. I injected the thickest portions of the ham the put it under brine with a double batch of the following recipe.
From: Charcuterie By Michael Ruhlman
American Style Brown Sugar-Glazed Holiday Ham
1 Gallon Water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 oz or 42grams or 8 teaspoons Pink salt
The Ham brined for seven full days and was removed and rested in the fridge, uncovered on a rack for 24 hours.
I added a plastic ham net from Butcher and Packer as tight as I could get it, I hung the ham in the net from a chop stick and spun it to tighten the netting. You want the ham to compress so it will hold its shape when cooked. I secured the netting with a knot and some butcher twine.
I smoked the ham at 125 for three hours with 8oz of Plum Wood. The ham was moved to a sheet pan, covered in cling film and cooled overnight in the fridge.
I placed the ham in my largest pot and covered it with cool water to find the amount I needed to cover it. I removed the ham and brought the water up to 175F. I added the ham and cooked it for 20 minutes per pound. It took an extra 30 minutes beyond the expected 3 hours and 20 minutes to reach 150 internal.
I drained off all the water and allowed the ham to cool in the pot, prior to moving it to a sheet tray. The ham was very firm at this point and rested overnight in the fridge.
The pictures are from the next day when I was slicing. This was the first time doing a Ham in this style and one this large. It was over 11 pounds after the brine. Two quarts of ham salad was made in addition to the slices. The smoke flavor and aroma is still very present after cooking in water. Overall the ham is very moist and tender. All that have tried it loved it.
