ADVICE on 10 lb frozen fresh ham

[Dr. Pepper]

Last year I purchased ½ hog, and we have eaten most of it, including curing the pork sides. I have a frozen 10 lb fresh ham which I just put on the kitchen counter. Ideally I would smoke this for pulled pork, but I understand that there is not the same amount of fat as in a pork shoulder. So, I am looking for recommendations from the collective experts (and not so expert) at AR. What would you do with this, short of curing it (which I am not going to do.). Thanks, all.
Daniel

[DavidNorcross]

Curious why you would not want to cure?

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

We never do ham so I have little to contribute, but second this question. Curing is super easy.

[Dr. Pepper]

Well, maybe I would consider......... It just seems that with the mass, it would be a formidable process. But, I will listen.

[Jim White]

I did the Pork and Peaches recipe with a fresh ham roast. Here's my SUWYC on the cook. I see in the comments you saw this, but I'm just putting it in as a reminder with links.

[Dr. Pepper]

Thanks, Jim White I went back and saw your post, and Sam Sifton's on the NYT link. I have Frances Mallmann's Seven Fires, and reviewed his original pork and peaches recipe. It looks delicious. He uses a boneless pork loin roast, which he pounds to a uniform thickness. I'm not sure how to translate that to the whole bone-in ham, although I could debone it?

[Jim White]

Yes, I was thinking if you wanted to go that route you could slice off several ham roasts similar to the one I used.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

I have cured full packers (15-18 pounds pretrim) for pastrami many times. I trim and separate into point and flat. Then I store in large Tupperware containers in fridge. Curing times is usually 4-5 days for two chunks. You probably have way more Tupperware than me so it should be a piece of cake and you can cut to fit the container.

Then you can come back and tell us how the ham reminded you of a heart surgery you performed in 1999.😏

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/curing-meats-safely

[Dr. Pepper]

@zero-credit I have cured brisket, separated into point and flat, as you suggest. When you separate, then the maximum thickness is 4-5 cm. This ham is more of a large ball, requiring much more time, and obviously following the Dr. Bonder guidelines.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

I guess it depends on what you want to cook in the end.

If you are shredding, obviously doesn’t matter how you slice for curing. If you are doing steak like things, maybe it matters a bit. If you want some kind of traditional cured ham, you’d need to find the right container. I guess a stock pot or even that sous vide container I think you bought (same as me right?) could work.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

But it sounds like you have a good idea of the process so I will let other folks suggest recipes. I am clueless on that front.

[rickgregory]

Salt and hang for a year or two.
What? Oh fine.
I think it would be cool to cure it and make it your holiday ham if you do ham for thanksgiving or Christmas

[Caffeine88]

My vote is with rickgregory. Salt it and hang in the basement till next Christmas.

But seriously - I wish I had something to add except that I think there's a lot of us who'd like to hear how it turns out as a cured ham!

[Jfrosty27]

I have never cooked a fresh ham. However I remember an episode of BBQ Pitmasters that featured fresh hams as one of the featured meats. If I recall correctly all they did was inject the heck out of it with apple juice based fluid, coat it liberally with a rub, and smoke it low and slow. They all wrapped it in foil at about 150 IT until done. That’s it.

Anyway, good luck with it and share how it goes.

[marshall]

https://youtu.be/LJRWNyYtb2I

I to have a raw ham , I’m going to try this recipe , got all the stuff for it and it looks easy and delicious!

[Dr. Pepper]

Thanks, marshall I watched that video. Very nice. I would like to see what it would be like to smoke the ham with no wet brine. Simply dry brine for 24-48 hours. The Cattleman's Grill Butcher House Brine doesn't contain any Prague Salt (Salt, Dehydrated Brown Sugar, Sugar, Dehydrated Garlic, Dehydrated Onion, and Spice), so it's just a salt brine with flavors. At $11 per bag, plus $8 shipping and taxes, that's about $30 just for the wet brine! I'd rather spend that on meat 🥩 or wine 🍷.

[Red Man]

You could just smoke it without curing. I wouldn’t try to pull it though. Not sure what IT to take it to for slicing, maybe 145.

[Dr. Pepper]

That’s what I’m thinking. Thanks

[rickgregory]

Dr. Pepper - Note that curing the ham traditionally takes awhile if you want something like prosciutto or Iberico ham etc but the cure then smoke approach so you get regular ham like you'd want for the holidays only takes a week or so:

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...ed-ham-recipe/