According To Smoky

Welcome to According to Smoky. Here you will find the latest and greatest from C. Clark "Smoky" Hale notable 'baster', author, publisher, television star in both the barbecue and 'the real' world. And yes, he is a real person and not the webmaster.

Smoky will be offering his talents, techniques and secrets discovered over the last 150 years, or so. He will be to the point, pull no punches and if you suffer through the process, you will become a much better outdoor cook, turning out masterpiece meals for friends and family alike.

In this column, Smoky discussing some of the questions you must ask when addressing the ham . . . . . take notes!

So, with no further adieu, we turn the mike to Smoky. You're on Smoky . . . . .

Last week was a quiet one on the grill. I smoked two turkeys, ten pounds of sausage and a ham and roasted a venison hind quarter. Everything except the ham has been consumed.

The ham was cut into "seasoning" size chunks of meat and bone and frozen in see-thru bags. Some of it, of course, never makes it to the freezer. It serves as the center piece of meals like "fried ham and red-eye gravy with grits and hot biscuits".

But most of it gets put away for a later date. It helps preserve it if you think of those soups, stews and gumbos that will be so much the better for your restraint. There are those who will tell you that ordinary bacon is just as good for seasoning. Don't you believe it.

There is no substitute for smoked ham and ham hock for seasoning beans and greens. And a little smoked ham sauteed with the vegetables elevates the taste of gumbo to the pinnacles of the human palate.

So, at least once a year, I smoke a ham and freeze most of it for its flavoring capacity. Typically, it is easy on the grill. The hardest part is probably choosing the ham. If you enjoy baked ham and similar dishes, you may want to do two hams. Or you may not be able to get by with doing only one ham a year.

Most hams these days are sold "fully cooked" after some sort of "cure". Of what some have been cured is hard to tell - but you can tell that it was serious.

It is always shocking to read on the ham package "Water Added". You can get some idea of how much weight loss you will have from fat and bone just by looking. You can't tell how much added water you are paying for. While the packaging may say ‘cured and fully cooked,' just consider that just a starting place.

Choose a ham large enough for your purposes. It should have no more than a thin layer of fat. Trim any excess and allow to come to room temperature.

Fire up the grill for hot smoking - about 175 degrees. Lay by a goodly supply of green hardwood or begin soaking dry hardwood chips. White oak, apple, pear or other fruitwoods should dominate with hickory added.

Lay on the ham, fat side up, away from the coals. Close the grill lid and reduce the air supply. A steady stream of smoke should exhaust from the stack. The temperature shouldn't get over 215 degrees for any length of time. If the wood flames up it will deposit a layer of black soot on the outside of the ham. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.

It is a good time to throw 10-20 lbs of sausage on the grill. This will smoke down (and actually cook) much quicker than the ham. Any left-over sausage will freeze as well as ham. Makes great start for red beans and rice.

Keep the smoke flowing for 8-15 hours. How long really depends on the size of the ham, what you plan to do with it and what your plans are while the ham is smoking. The heat and smoke are melting the external fat, drying some of the added water and allowing real smoke to penetrate into the meat. There is no real danger of it burning or overcooking.

When you are ready, shut down the draft on the grill and close all vents to let things cool down. When cool enough to handle easily remove from the grill. Slice only enough for immediate consumption. Let the other rest until cool. Cut into convenient size pieces and bag in freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible. Ham frozen this way can be cut while in its frozen state if necessary. It will keep for six to eight months, but it will rarely get a chance.

When you go to cook up that pot of greens or beans, boil the smoked ham slices a few minutes to allow the seasoning to fully disperse into the water without having to cook the greens as long. And will make a Yankee pucker up to whistle "Dixie."

Smoky Has A New Book The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual 416 pages of great information and wonderful recipes. @ The Barbecue Store

Enjoy.

© 2000 by Smoky Hale Smoky
C. Clark Hale
8168 Hwy 98 E.
McComb, MS 39648

Smoky's 5th basic position for really great barbecue'n.

'According to Smoky' is © by C. Clark Hale
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