Today I try something I have never tried. In fact until recently I never even heard of it. It is called Smoked Pulled Ham. What you do is take a regular Ham and smoke it just like you would smoke a Pork Butt for Pulled Pork. This means you take it up all the way to 205-210 degrees until the Ham is easily shredded just like Pulled Pork. I am so glad I tried this, as it came out great. If you never have tried it yourself I would highly recommend it.
Ingredients:
8-10 pound bone in Ham
BBQ Rub of your choice (use one with more Brown Sugar than Salt) Pineapple Juice
BBQ Sauce of your choice
Hot Sauce (I used Sriracha)
Apricot Preserves
Use a knife to cut score marks across the entire surface of the ham about 1 inch apart and 1/2 inch deep in a diamond pattern. Then season the outside of the ham with the BBQ Rub of your choice. Make sure to use a Rub with more Brown Sugar than Salt, and season lightly, as the Ham is already salty.
Place you Ham in your smoker over a pan with warm water. Smoke at 200-225 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees. Depending on the size of your Ham this might take 8-12 hours. I would recommend putting the Ham on before you go to bed, and let it cook overnight. Make sure to occasionally spray the Ham with some Pineapple Juice to make sure the Ham remains wet, as this helps it absorb some smoke.
Next prepare your Glaze by mixing equal parts of the Apricot Preserves and BBQ Sauce in a saucepan. Add some Hot Sauce if you want it a bit spicy. Heat over medium heat until the Glaze comes to a simmer and reduces down a bit.
Once the Ham reaches 160-165 degrees remove and transfer it to a disposable aluminum pan. Pour 1 cup of Pineapple Juice into the bottom of the pan and then pour the apricot BBQ glaze over the top of the ham. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
Now the heat of your smoker (or preheat your oven) to 300-325 degrees. Place the covered ham onto the grates, close the lid, and continue cooking the ham until the internal temperature reads at least 200 degrees and your thermometer probe slides into the meat like it is sliding into softened butter. You should feel very little resistance in the meat. My ham had to cook until it was about 205 degrees to feel this tender, so keep checking during this phase as every ham is different.
Remove the finished ham and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before shredding. Discard any bones or tough cartilage pieces. Pour any remaining juices from the braising pan over the shredded ham. Serve and enjoy!
To watch me prepare this recipe step by step simply watch my video below.