# Smoking Deer Hams...How long



## littletime (Oct 15, 2008)

I am going to smoke some hams and backstraps tomorrow, and I've never done it before.  I've smoked all kinds of stuff but never this......SO...What temp and how long?  Any cooking recipes worth trying out?  Any help would be much appreciated cause nobody likes dry deer meat...


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## Brad (Nov 7, 2008)

I would be very careful smoking venison as it will dry it out venison is more like steak hot and fast but good luck and if it works out tell us about it. Although I have slow cooked on the grill a front shoulder and it turns out pretty good. The way I do it is season the meat and coat with olive oil and then seat it then transfer to an aluminum turkey pan with cut up carrots potatoes onions and celery then cover with water and cover with tin foil. Move it off the fire and cook until the vegies are done about 2 to 3 hours the meat will be so tender it will fall off the bone.


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## Twenty five ought six (Nov 7, 2008)

You either want to smoke it just a little, or real long.  Personally I prefer just a little.  Smoking a big piece of venison is where a meat thermometer comes in handy.  I smoke it until it's 140 on the interior, then let it "rest".  It will run on up to 150 and give you about a medium rare.

If you cook it to about 180, it will be more like jerky, which is not necessarily bad.  It will have a heavy smoke flavor.


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## Nitro (Nov 7, 2008)

Twenty five ought six said:


> You either want to smoke it just a little, or real long.  Personally I prefer just a little.  Smoking a big piece of venison is where a meat thermometer comes in handy.  I smoke it until it's 140 on the interior, then let it "rest".  It will run on up to 150 and give you about a medium rare.
> 
> If you cook it to about 180, it will be more like jerky, which is not necessarily bad.  It will have a heavy smoke flavor.



I concur. If you can kill a little spotted one, they eat the best. We Butterfly em and cook em whole.


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## ambush80 (Nov 8, 2008)

Nitro said:


> I concur. If you can kill a little spotted one, they eat the best. We Butterfly em and cook em whole.




I smoked a ham off a 40 pounder.  The ham weighed about 5 pounds.   Smoked it for 6 hours and it was soft but not pulling apart and incredibly juicy inside.


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## Nitro (Nov 8, 2008)

ambush80 said:


> I smoked a ham off a 40 pounder.  The ham weighed about 5 pounds.   Smoked it for 6 hours and it was soft but not pulling apart and incredibly juicy inside.



That's what I am talking about!!


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## jimbo4116 (Nov 8, 2008)

Twenty five ought six said:


> You either want to smoke it just a little, or real long.  Personally I prefer just a little.  Smoking a big piece of venison is where a meat thermometer comes in handy.  I smoke it until it's 140 on the interior, then let it "rest".  It will run on up to 150 and give you about a medium rare.
> 
> If you cook it to about 180, it will be more like jerky, which is not necessarily bad.  It will have a heavy smoke flavor.



Absolutely correct!!!!


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## justdang (Nov 8, 2008)

Depending on the size of the ham, I start it with a lot of Pecan/ hickory smoke and go to about 100-120 internal temp(before it starts to pull from the bone) measured with a meat thermometer. From there i pull the ham and wrap it in heavy tin foil and reinsert in the smoker till 180-190 internal temp. the juices will boil it into submission and it will be cut with a fork tender.do not forget to then let rest for a while still wrapped. I will throw an onion sliced in the wrap to give a little flavor and juice also. A good rub helps also but YMMV.


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