I need help deciding what to do with a fresh ham. A coworker has asked me to smoke a very large fresh ham. It is 30 lb! I'm assuming fresh means uncured and raw. I've glanced over this website's curing article and it seems intimidating. I know you could skip the curing and cook it like a regular roast but am confused on the recommend internal temp. This website recommends 145 degrees for fresh ham, and other sources recommend around 175 degrees. What would you do? Also should I try to cut it into smaller pieces? Thanks! 
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First thing ya need to do is ask your co-worker if they want 30 lbs of pork roast or ham. Then ask if it's OK to cut it in thirds 'cause it will take a long time to cure or cook whole. I'll let people with more experience talk about temps. -
I agree with RonB cut it in thirds to make cooking and curing easier. 145 is fine for whole muscle pork.Comment
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No help for you on your question but man I used to love it as a kid when we went to pick out a country ham for the holidays in Nash County NC. Got them from some old geezer who looked to be 150 years old. Had a curing shack with dozens of hams hanging. My 8-year-old self wondered how he kept it from burning down!
Thanks for sparking those memories!Comment
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