It really pays to be informed and read the label on packages before you proceed. I almost made a big mistake on the Hams this Thanksgiving!! I smoke tested a “Fully Cooked” Butt Half Ham last week to prepare for Thanksgiving and it turned out great. Unfortunately the Hams that I bought for Turkey day were not “Fully Cooked”. The Hickory Smoked Butt Portion Hams were “Ready to Cook” … Big difference in how you prepare them.
Last week I paid $2.34 per pound for a “Fully Cooked” Hickory Smoked Butt Half Ham versus the $1.59 per pound of the “Ready to Cook” Hickory Smoked Butt Portion Ham. I felt great saving 75¢ a pound … What I didn’t realize at the store is that I read what I wanted to see on the label and not what the label actually said!
As per the Virtual Weber Bullet here’s the difference between the 2 types of Hams:
“Ready To Eat” vs. “Ready To Cook”
Most hams that you find at the supermarket are already cooked and can be eaten right out of the package. These include fully-cooked hams, spiral-sliced hams and canned hams. Look for the phrase “ready to eat” on the label.
Fresh hams and hams that have only been partially cooked must be fully cooked to 145-150°F internal temperature so that they achieve a final resting temperature of 155-160°F before serving. Look for the phrase “ready to cook” or “cook before eating” on the label. The USDA safe food handling instructions will also be found somewhere on the label of this kind of ham.
Serving Temperature
Most people agree that ham should be served warm or cool–but definitely not cold right out of the refrigerator. For a “ready to eat” ham, a range of 110-140° seems to be the consensus. “Ready to cook” hams must be fully cooked to 145-150°F internal temperature so that they achieve a final resting temperature of 155-160°F before serving.
Fortunately I read the label correctly at 5 am and adjusted my plans accordingly. Preheated the MAK 2 Star Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill to 250ºF vs the 225ºF temperature I used last week. Using Hickory wood BBQ pellets. Last week I took the “Fully Cooked” Ham to an Internal Temperature (IT) of 140ºF but decided to take the “Ready to Cook” Ham to an IT of 160ºF to be on the safe side. Two 9 lb Hams in the MAK 2 Star at zero-dark thirty (5:30 am) @250ºF with an IT of 37ºF.
Took 5 hours and 45 minutes for the Hams to reach an IT of 160ºF. Hickory Smoked “Ready to Cook” Butt Portion Hams ready for Foil, Towel, Cooler (FTC) and transportation to my Son’s house across town.
Foil, Towel, Cooler … We ate the first ham an hours and a half into the FTC and the Ham was extremely hot, remarkably flavorful, and moist. I believe this less expensive cut of pork turned out better and I plan on using it for future smokes. The second ham was sliced and portioned out more than 4 hours after the initial FTC and was still still hot and moist. I was really surprised to see how long the FTC holds food hot and moist.
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