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Honey Glazed Smoked Ham

I do this with the large muscle group on the back of the ham, which would be a rump roast in a cow or a culatello in Italian charcuterie. But the exact cut isn't as important as just a big ole' hunk of hind leg. I am using a wild pig here, but domesticated pork is fine, as would hams from a bear.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 80 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 or 2 skinless hams, each about 2 to 4 pounds
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Instacure No. 1
  • 1/2 cup honey

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix the salt, curing salt, sugar and a half-gallon of water until the salt dissolves. Submerge the hams in the brine for 2 to 4 days in the fridge. The longer you brine the hams, the saltier they will be, and the rosier they will get from the cure. For 2 1/2-pound hams I cured for 48 hours and they came out very lightly cured, which I like. If you prefer a more traditional "ham-ier" flavor, go a bit longer.
  2. When you are ready to smoke, take the hams out, pat them dry with paper towels and set them on a wire rack in a cool, breezy place. I put mine on the kitchen table under the ceiling fan with the window open. Let them sit there for 2 to 3 hours, so they can dry a bit and develop the pellicle that helps the surface of the hams take the smoke better. You can also leave them in the fridge uncovered overnight.
  3. Smoke over your favorite wood (I used cherry) for 2 hours, getting the smoker's temperature up to 200°F in this time. Meanwhile, heat the honey in a little pot so it will flow better. At the 2-hour mark, paint the hams with the honey. Paint again every hour until you are done smoking.
  4. You can finish the hams entirely in the smoker, painting with honey every hour until you get an internal temperature of 160°F to 175°F, or you can do what I do, which is to finish the ham in the oven. To do this, I move the hams from the smoker to a preheated 375°F oven, painting them with honey every 20 minutes. I like this better because the final hot temperatures fully cook the ham and the honey caramelizes nicely, which doesn't happen so well at the low temps of the smoker.
  5. Let the hams cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or cold.

Nutrition Information

Calories 80kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 20g (7%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 4717mg (197%) Potassium 13mg (0%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 20g (40%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 4mg (0%) Iron 0.1mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 80

% Daily Value*

Calories 80kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 20g 7%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 4717mg 197%
Potassium 13mg 0%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 20g 40%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0.1mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.