Twice Smoked Spiral Ham

We had to smoke the spiral ham twice because it was that good! Isn’t it true that twice the smoke equals double the fun?

Smoked ham is one of the simplest holiday meals to make, and this twice-smoked spiral ham is so tasty that your guests will be begging for more!

In this recipe, I’ll teach you how to prepare the ham, smoke it, and then finish it with a homemade maple glaze.

Smoked Spiral Ham

Spiral hams are sliced from a pig’s leg and are already cooked and smoked.

Because of the manner they are carved, they are known as spiral hams. Normally, a spring-loaded slicing blade makes spiral incisions around the ham and bone. This procedure results in even slices and a lovely appearance.

Spiral sliced hams are available at most supermarkets. If you want to use a standard ham, you may do so and this recipe will still work!

I would score the ham first before adding the mustard binder and massage to ensure that everything clings to it effectively.

The ham’s package will normally tell you what sort of wood it was smoked with and what temperature you should reheat it to, which is 140-145F.

Pre-smoked hams are often deficient in taste, so for this dish, we will smoke the ham a second time to add flavor.

Spiral hams are often accompanied with a glaze package, which is just a blend of brown sugar, honey, and other seasonings.

You may absolutely use the package that comes with it, but homemade is always better, and I have a simple recipe for the ideal sweet ham glaze.

How to smoke spiral ham

1. Set up the smoker

Get your smoker pre-heated to 250F.

For this meal, I utilized my Traeger Timberline 1300 with Bear Mountain cherry pellets.

2. Prep the ham

Spread the dijon mustard over the ham, being careful to coat it completely. If you don’t want a smear all over your hands, use latex gloves.

The Dijon mustard will flavor the ham and serve as a binder for the spices. Because the ham is spiraling, be careful to get the mustard into all of the individual slices to cover everything evenly.

It is now time to season. I used our new Smoke Kitchen Honey Garlic Rub, which pairs well with ham (as well as beef, chicken, and fish).

If you like a more traditional taste, use brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper for the rub.

3. Smoking

Now that your ham has been seasoned, put it on your smoker.

It will take around 15-20 minutes per pound. I smoked a 10lb ham for about 3 hours. You may probably up the temperature to 275°F to shorten the cooking time.

When cooking a large piece of meat like this, I prefer to use a wireless meat thermometer like the ThermoPro TempSpike at the start of the cook; it takes the guesswork out of knowing when to baste and when your ham is done.

4. Make the glaze

To prepare the glaze, put the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and butter in a saucepan, stir well, and then set it on your stovetop or smoker and bring to a boil, then cook to reduce and thicken the sauce.

When the ham’s internal temperature hits 130F, use a basting brush to apply a few coats of glaze on the ham, allowing it to tack up and set until it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145F.

5. Slicing and serving your ham

Unfortunately, there is no attractive method to slice spiral ham.

Turn the ham on its side and gently cut around the bone, then take the ham pieces away.

After cooking, the ham may remove itself from the bone, requiring just minimum trimming. You can extract the ham from the bone without burning your hands if you use cotton glove liners and latex gloves.

Other great festive recipes for the grill or smoker

• Smoked ham with bourbon and hot honey glaze.
• Double smoked ham with maple mustard glaze.
• Smoked leg of lamb

Here are some excellent sides to go with both recipes:

• Easy Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Herby Roasted Potato Salad
• Southern Style Coleslaw