Double Smoked Ham for Easter
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Serving ham on Easter is about as traditional as it gets but if you want to really ramp up the flavor, buy a pre-cooked smoked ham, season it up real good with Jeff's original rub then, smoke it again while it heats up in the smoker. Your guests will rave about double smoked ham!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-6 hours (depends on the size)
- Smoker Temp: 225-240°F
- Meat Finish Temp: 145°F
- Recommended Wood: Pecan or Hickory
- Large ready-to-eat ham (bone-in, semi-boneless, or boneless will work)
- Spicy brown mustard
- Jeff's original rub
- Jeff's barbecue sauce
- Honey
- Dr. Pepper
Lay the ham on a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, score the meat about ½ inch deep along the horizontal and vertical axis of the ham.
You can see the score marks in the following picture if you look closely. Perfection is not required here.. just a way for the rub and smoke to get a little more access.
Once it's cooked for a while, their will be more separation along the score marks and it will be more visible.
Note: Spiral cut hams will not need to be scored.
Now that wasn't so hard was it?
Apply some spicy brown mustard to the ham to help the rub to stick.
Rub it in real good..
Generously pour on some of Jeff's original rub and massage it in.
My rub with the spicy brown mustard creates this really nice crust that is, in my opinion, the best part of the ham. Don't be skimpy with the rub;-)
In times past I have just said to smoke the ham for 3 hours and that works to get it up to a good eating temperature but I feel that the ham is actually better if you take it on up to about 140-145°F.
I actually inserted my new bluetooth thermometer, the Maverick ET-735 (which worked like a charm, by the way, thanks for asking) and this 15 lb monster ham took over 6 hours to reach 140°F.
This gave the rub plenty of time to get nice and tasty on the outside of the ham and down in those score marks that we made.
Note: Smaller hams will take less time, larger hams will take more time. If you have limited time, consider smoking 2 smaller hams rather than 1 large one to speed up the process.
Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225-240°F and make sure that you have about 3-4 hours worth of good smoking wood. I used pecan but hickory or almost any fruit wood would also work really good on this.
Once the smoker is heated up and holding steady, place the ham on a Bradley rack and place the rack on the smoker grate or you can just place the ham directly on the smoker grate.
Please note, you can use almost any type of ham including the spiral cut variety.
Once the ham is about 1 hour from being done, baste it twice, 15 minutes between each basting, with my Dr. Pepper and Honey Barbecue Glaze (recipe below):
Dr. Pepper and Honey Barbecue Glaze
- 1/3 cup of Jeff's Barbecue Sauce
- ½ cup of Dr. Pepper (Not diet)
- ¼ cup of Honey
Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well.
Apply to ham with a basting brush making sure to get it down into the score marks and all over the top and sides of the ham.
When the ham reaches 140 to 145°F in the center, pull it out of the smoker and set it on the cabinet for about 15 minutes to rest.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
Double Smoked Ham for Easter
Ingredients
- Large ready-to-eat ham (bone-in, semi-boneless, or boneless will work)
- Spicy brown mustard
- Jeff's original rub
- Jeff's barbecue sauce
- Honey
- Dr. Pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Score the Ham (optional but highly recommended)
- Lay the ham on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, score the meat about ½ inch deep along the horizontal and vertical axis of the ham. Perfection is not required here.. just a way for the rub and smoke to get a little more access.
- Note: Spiral cut hams will not need to be scored.
Step 2: Add the Seasoning
- Apply some spicy brown mustard to the ham to help the rub to stick.
- Generously pour on some of Jeff's original rub and massage it in. My rub with the spicy brown mustard creates this really nice crust that is, in my opinion, the best part of the ham. Don’t be skimpy with the rub;-)
Step 3: Smoke It
- In times past I have just said to smoke the ham for 3 hours and that works to get it up to a good eating temperature but I feel that the ham is actually better if you take it on up to about 140-145°F.
- Note: Smaller hams will take less time, larger hams will take more time. If you have limited time, consider smoking 2 smaller hams rather than 1 large one to speed up the process.
- Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225-240°F and make sure that you have about 3-4 hours worth of good smoking wood. I used pecan but hickory or almost any fruit wood would also work really good on this.
- Once the smoker is heated up and holding steady, place the ham on a Bradley rack and place the rack on the smoker grate or you can just place the ham directly on the smoker grate.
- Please note, you can use almost any type of ham including the spiral cut variety.
- Once the ham is about 1 hour from being done, baste it twice, 15 minutes between each basting, with my Dr. Pepper and Honey Barbecue Glaze
- To make the Dr. Pepper and Honey Barbecue Glaze: 1/3 cup of Jeff's Barbecue Sauce, ½ cup of Dr. Pepper (Not diet), ¼ cup of Honey
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well.
- Apply to ham with a basting brush making sure to get it down into the score marks and all over the top and sides of the ham.
Step 4: Rest, Slice and Serve
- When the ham reaches 140 to 145°F in the center, pull it out of the smoker and set it on the cabinet for about 15 minutes to rest.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Jeff. While camping the person we were next to prepared this and brought some to try. Wow. Bought my first smoker because it was so good! If I buy a spiral cut ham how do I place it in the smoker. With the cuts parallel or perpendicular to the grill?
You ain’t kidding.. this stuff is amazing! I sit mine on its side with the cuts perpendicular to the grates. This allows smoke to get down into the cuts a little and if you baste it while it cooks, well some of that can get down in there as well.
Jeff,
I have purchased the recipe sometime ago and this is the 3rd time of me emailing you that I am still getting the ads. I love the site but really getting tired of these ads that you say I won’t get once I purchased the recipe. Can you help me out. Just begging!!!!
Thanks
Don
Absolutely stellar, I have made this recipe 4 times for the family and twice for the church, a total of 10 hams cooked. I still get requests, nobody wants a ham any other way and you should see the “battle for the bone”.
Love the newsletters! Can you double smoke a ham one day and put it in a slow cooker/oven the next day to heat up and serve?
You sure can.. I recommend the slow cooker for reheating or at least in a pan covered with foil with about ¼ inch of water in the bottom to keep it from drying out.
Jeff,
I have been a fan for years. I purchased your rub and sauce recipes. I saved all of your recipes received via email. I went to the saved recipes and, unfortunately, found that my idiot computer (or the idiot operator) deleted them. Is there a way I can get your recipes again?
Thank you
Francis,
Just sent the download link to you.. let me know if you don’t get it.
my girl friend and i made this for easter and we loved it so much …
That we are going to make it is agian and used the bone and what was left on the bone to make.
some creamy ham and corn chowder soup that double smoking of the ham made the soup even better.
I use your recipe for Easter and got rave reviews it was yummy and will do again. I also did the brisket and it was also very good, trying turkey and baby back ribs for Mother’s day. that you for all the recipes and rubs. Love it .
Jeff,
I’ve been smoking hams for Easter for the past decade or so and have acquired quite a rep in the family for my Easter hams.
I decided to try this recipe and everyone raved about it. I loved it and can’t wait till I make ham and bean soup with the leftovers. I used a relatively inexpensive ham too.
I got a really superb and deep smoky flavor with the pecan I used. I can’t wait to try it with hickory and mesquite.
Thanks, Jeff, great recipe.
Bill
I’m hoping to double-smoke a spiral-sliced, fully cooked ham. Smoking at 225 degrees, what would be a formula for hours-per-pound I could follow? This is a 9-lb. ham.
Jeff, I made your “Maple Injected” smoked ham last Easter and it was to die for… It was incredibly tender and flavorful. It was a big hit at a family dinner.. I’m going try this one… Thanks for changing my life..:>)