Recipe: Home-Smoked Spicy Ginger Ham

Home-Smoked
Spicy Ginger Ham

Serves 10-12

Home-Smoked Spicy Ginger Ham Rise and shine! This hearty main course takes several hours to cook, so pour that mug of coffee and start the smoker!

12-to 14-pound cooked, ready-to-eat
Boston butt or shoulder ham

Rub
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of paprika
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Ginger Glaze
1 cup of ginger preserves
1/4 cup of pineapple juice or orange juice
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

The night before you plan to smoke the ham, combine the rub ingredients. Evenly apply the rub to the ham. Tightly cover the ham in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

A water-smoker or an offset firebox will produce equally successful results. Remove the ham from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature (45 minutes to an hour). Heat the smoker to a temperature of 180 degrees F. to 240 degrees F. (82 degrees C. to 116 degrees C.). Place the ham in the smoker. Because the ham is precooked, you're smoking it to add flavor, not to cook it. Let the ham smoke for 4-1/2 to 5 hours, or until it reaches the desired level of smoky flavor. While the ham is smoking, combine all of the ingredients for the ginger glaze; baste the ham with the glaze twice during the last hour of cooking.

Tightly wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with a small bowl of sweet mustard and Grilled Pineapple Rings.

Buy the Book!

Cooking & Dining Outdoors
By Cindy Burda
Time Life Books
Paperback, $16.95
Color photographs throughout
ISBN: 0-7370-2038-5
Recipe reprinted by permission.