This home-cured and smoked ham recipe is wet brined and then smoked and glazed to perfection for an incredible meal to serve to friends and family. You will be blown away by the flavors of this homemade ham.
We are big-time ham eaters in this family and eat it often outside of holidays. If you happen to have any leftovers, then consider using up all that ham in my Croque Madame or Ham and Potato Soup.
Cured ham is one of many methods to help preserve pork. I used a wet brine to cure the pork to enhance the flavor and give it that coveted “pink ham” look. When purchasing this, you must ask for a “Fresh” bone-in ham. This is sometimes known as a green ham. If you ask your butcher for a regular ham, they will take you to the section with cured and smoked hams.
A traditional salt cure would be dried and packed in salt to preserve. You would see this for ham and specifically for things like prosciutto or speck, but the typical kind we get here for the holidays in the United States is additionally smoked. A simple wet-brined and cured ham cannot be eaten raw.
There are many different ingredients one can use to wet brine and cure a ham, but water, salt, and curing salt are must-haves for it to take place. The curing salt is what gives it a pink color and helps to preserve it. You would be hard-pressed to keep raw pork in a wet brine for a week or more with the curing salt. This process is not at all complicated. It does, however, require several days of waiting while the brine takes effect.
Smoked ham is ham that has been wet-cured and smoked until it reaches an internal temperature of 155°. Halfway through the process of smoking, the ham is typically basted with a glaze to help caramelize the outside pork to form bark and help flavor it up.
I like to score them with small 1” square ¼” deep incisions all around the ham to help the smoke penetrate it. Smoking the ham will bring some excellent earthy wood flavors to help enhance the taste. Here are my favorite woods to use:
Feel free to get creative with smoking it and using different woods to make it work to your liking.
After choosing a pork roast (or several!) to make into ham, the first thing you need to do is brine the ham. Some people call this “curing” a ham — brining is a type of curing. To brine a ham is basically to wet cure a ham. Brining takes several days, and it’s essential to the process of making a good ham.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be served as soon as it is done resting after cooking in the oven. It can be kept warm for up to 1 hour before serving by keeping it covered in foil in the oven at 200°.
How to Store: Once the smoked ham is cool, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Ham does freeze well wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 2 days or until thawed before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the ham to a casserole dish or roasting pan and add your favorite glaze to the top of the ham and pour in 2 cups of chicken stock in the roasting pan to help provide moisture. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes or until warmed.
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This home-cured and smoked ham recipe is wet brined and then smoked and glazed to perfection for an incredible meal to serve to friends and family. You will be blown away by the flavors of this homemade ham.
We are big-time ham eaters in this family and eat it often outside of holidays. If you happen to have any leftovers, then consider using up all that ham in my Croque Madame or Ham and Potato Soup.
Cured ham is one of many methods to help preserve pork. I used a wet brine to cure the pork to enhance the flavor and give it that coveted “pink ham” look. When purchasing this, you must ask for a “Fresh” bone-in ham. This is sometimes known as a green ham. If you ask your butcher for a regular ham, they will take you to the section with cured and smoked hams.
A traditional salt cure would be dried and packed in salt to preserve. You would see this for ham and specifically for things like prosciutto or speck, but the typical kind we get here for the holidays in the United States is additionally smoked. A simple wet-brined and cured ham cannot be eaten raw.
There are many different ingredients one can use to wet brine and cure a ham, but water, salt, and curing salt are must-haves for it to take place. The curing salt is what gives it a pink color and helps to preserve it. You would be hard-pressed to keep raw pork in a wet brine for a week or more with the curing salt. This process is not at all complicated. It does, however, require several days of waiting while the brine takes effect.
Smoked ham is ham that has been wet-cured and smoked until it reaches an internal temperature of 155°. Halfway through the process of smoking, the ham is typically basted with a glaze to help caramelize the outside pork to form bark and help flavor it up.
I like to score them with small 1” square ¼” deep incisions all around the ham to help the smoke penetrate it. Smoking the ham will bring some excellent earthy wood flavors to help enhance the taste. Here are my favorite woods to use:
- Apple
- Cherry
- Hickory
- Oak
- Pecan
- Mesquite
Feel free to get creative with smoking it and using different woods to make it work to your liking.
- Pork – You will need fresh bone-in ham for this recipe.
- Water – This is the base liquid for the brine cure.
- Cider – I like to add a little bit of apple cider to complement the pork flavor.
- Ice – After boiling it quickly, you will need some ice to chill the brine.
- Spices – I add some whole cloves and pickling spice to the brine.
- Curing Salt – You will need #1 curing salt, also known as Prague powder.
- Salt – I always use coarse sea salt in my cooking and baking.
- Molasses – Some dark molasses is an excellent addition to the brine.
- Sugar – I like to use light brown sugar, but regular granulated sugar will also work.
- Glaze – You will need a glaze for this recipe during the smoking of the ham. You can use a favorite recipe of yours, or feel free to try my Pineapple Ham Glaze, Honey Ham Glaze, or Brown Sugar Ham Glaze.
How to brine a ham – The School of Artisan Food
FAQ
Do you have to brine a ham before cooking?
Is it best to soak ham before cooking?
Should I soak a precooked ham?
What percentage of salt is in brine ham?
Can You brine a fresh ham?
Fresh ham is not the cured, smoked product we associate with ham. It is a cut of pork. Choose one that is 8-12 pounds total weight. Ham needs to be thawed and not frozen when you place it in the brine.You also need a food grade container large enough to place your ham and brine in and have the meat completely covered by the brine.
Is honey baked ham as good as regular ham?
The addition of honey will affect the calorie content of the food. One tablespoon of honey contributes to approximately 64 calories. In addition, the use of heat when making baked ham will reduce the quality of the honey.
How do you brine a 7 pound Ham?
Boil one gallon of water and pour over the ingredients in the container. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to completely dissolve the mixture. This makes a wet cure. Add the remaining three gallons of water to cool down the mixture. The brine is ready. On a chopping board, cut the 7-pound ham into two equal chunks.
How do you cook a fresh ham After brining?
After brining, your fresh ham is now ready to be cooked to perfection. There are various cooking methods you can choose from, including roasting, smoking, or grilling.