Dec 15 2013
It was a cold windy day for smoking. Most businesses never got the wet snow cleared from their parking lots before it froze early evening Friday. It was hard to push the grocery cart through the mess Saturday, I should have gone Friday! Today the 16th its 9 AM and 12 deg.
I had a half, 5.45 lb. smoked boneless ham from Kah Meats to smoke so I call it a double smoked ham. The hams are fully cooked and to me are the best I can get around here. I have bought them there for years and the old man used to tell me every time not to overcook it or I would dry it out. Their bones in ones are better but it’s too much ham for me anymore.
I wanted to do this fast and get it to an IT of 148 deg. I got it on at 10:30 at 225 deg. for one hour and then eased up to 350 deg. at grill level. I was using Cookin Pellets 100% hickory. It was done in a total of 3 hours 40 minutes. I basted it with some blackstrap molasses when it was 100 deg. and again at 120 deg. I let it cool at room temp and then covered and in the fridge until supper time.
I could never find molasses around here that was labeled blackstrap. All I could find was Grandma’s and Brer Rabbit. I always bought Grandma’s; I figured she knew more about molasses than a rabbit did!
I read up on molasses and found light syrup was from the first cooking of the sugar cane, dark syrup was from the second cooking and molasses was from the third. I am not sure if there is a difference between blackstrap and just regular molasses.
The wife and I were both hungry for a ham sandwich with mustard and dill pickle. I used some German rye bread; well it was Aunt Mille’s version of German rye! I sliced enough thin slices from the ham as thin as I could to make two good sandwiches. My sides were Bob Evans mac & cheese and some baby carrots I just about covered with water and boiled until the water was gone added some brown sugar, salt, pepper and a touch of cumin.
All tasted great; the cook got all the end slices of ham! I will slice up the rest of the ham this afternoon; take some to my Mother, freeze some and save some out for more sandwiches.
My Smokin Deck
At 2 hours
Smokin Don
