Country Smoked Ham

This recipe is for a 4 to 5 pound Fresh Ham

3/4 cup liquid smoke

1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

4 table spoon salt

In a pan pour liquid smoke over ham. Make sure to cover entire ham. Pour excess into a plastic bag large enough for the ham to fit in. (oven bags will work)

Mix salt and brown sugar in a bowl then rub on ham. Pack the remainder on the meat of the ham. Then put ham and any remainder salt sugar mix in the bag.

Push air out of the bag and close end with your hand. If liquid smoke does not cover the ham add more liquid smoke, then push the air out of the bag and seal it.

Put the ham in lower part of your refrigerator. Turn over twice daily for 5 days.

Note this is for a 4 to 5 pound ham. Increase ingredients as needed. Example an 8 pound ham would need this recipe plus 1/2 again the ingredients and 2 to 3 more days curing.

You can now grill the ham or bake in the oven.

Preheat the oven or grill to 450 degrees F. Roast the meat for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature 300 degrees F. Cook the ham until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150 degrees F. A 4 to 5 pound ham will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Adjust time as needed. Note on a grill do not put ham directly over the flames.

To smoke the ham on a grill. Heat grill to 200 degrees. Put ham in a pan with at least 2inch sides. In a small pan put some wet hickory chips. Note soak hickory chips for at least 1 hour. Put the pan with the ham on the grill away from the flames and the hickory chips over the flames. This will take 5 hours replace the hickory chips as needed to keep the smoke going.

Again adjust the time for the size of your ham( about 1 hour per pound.) When the smoking process is finished wrap ham in foil and let set on a counter over night. Then cook for another hour per 5 pounds at 300 degrees in your oven or grill. You can also refrigerate and cook when needed. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.