What's on your plate for Easter?

[sundaynfl]

It's just me, the wife, our two kids and two dogs for Easter this year...

 

So, I am cooking up a Kurobuta ham with some Asiago Rosemary smashed potatoes and some grilled asparagus. Maybe a few glasses of wine...

 

Folowed with a gorging of kids Easter candy!!

[twiley]

I'm not sure. We're going over to my sister-in-laws. Which probably means hot dogs, canned potato salad and a bag of chips.

 

Then we're heading over to my side of the family which usually means appetizers, wine, beer, smoked ribs/ham/brisket, antipasto tray, the works....

[nogohawk]

Just doing Brunch with my 2 step-sons and Mom/Wife - nothing too spectacular ... but definitely going to raid the Easter goodies!

[Bier Meister]

wife, myself and baby are going down to denver (simms landing) for a linner (lunch/dinner) with my in-laws.

[sundaynfl]

I'm not sure. We're going over to my sister-in-laws. Which probably means hot dogs, canned potato salad and a bag of chips.

 

Then we're heading over to my side of the family which usually means appetizers, wine, beer, smoked ribs/ham/brisket, antipasto tray, the works.... 

 

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A couple of phone calls will help:

 

Call sister-in law and tell her that the Easter Bunny stole your keys!

 

Call your family and tell em you'll be over early!

[Jimmy Neutron]

Ham. A freakishly big ham.

[Seattle LawDawg]

Ham.  A freakishly big ham. 

 

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I'll be grilling lamb

[untateve]

I'm doing this on the Egg--I got the recipe from the BGE website. Never tried it before.

 

Dr. Chicken’s Double Smoked Ham

Ham should be a fully cooked or partially cooked ½ shank variety or can be shoulder variety (water added can be used, as long as the water added does not exceed 23% water added product.) If it is pre-smoked with hickory, that seems to work out best. Patti/Jean or Cooks among the best, but other varieties can be used!

Glazing Sauce:

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup maple syrup (use dark grade B real maple syrup if available)(dark grade B has more flavor than grade A)

¼ cup honey

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 – 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp instant coffee granules (use a good brand because it makes a difference)

1 Tbsp dry ground mustard

2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate (a good brand provides better flavor)

Blend all ingredients in a sauce pan with a wire whip and heat slightly until everything combines into a viscous or thick looking sauce.

Cooking instructions:

Score outer skin of ham to a depth of ½ inch in a crisscross diamond pattern. This will allow the glazing sauce to penetrate below the skin, into the actual ham. Place ham (un-glazed) into a shallow roasting pan or roasting rack.. Baste with glazing sauce the last hour of cooking time and continue to cook until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°. Remove from oven and allow to sit covered for 20 to 30 minutes before carving!

Cooking instructions for outdoor cooking:

 

Place water soaked chunks of mesquite, hickory or pecan (we prefer the smoke of pecan over all the others) on coals 5 minutes before putting ham on cooker. This will allow the ham to obtain maximum smoke flavor during the second cook cycle. ( the first cook cycle is the cycle the processor uses.) If even more smoke flavor is desired, place ham in freezer for 1 to 1 ½ hours prior to cooking to allow outer edges of ham to start to freeze. Go easy on this procedure; you don’t want the ham frozen hard!

Maintain temperature of cooker/grill at 225° to 275° during cook cycle.

If using a water smoker, fill water pan ¾ full with hot water and add 2 cups of orange, pineapple, or orange/pineapple mix, sweetened grapefruit or apple juice to the water. (all of them act as tenderizer as the steam penetrates the meat.) (I use a ¾ full drip pan when cooking on the Eggs, filled with a 50:50 mix of water and orange juice.)

Again, cook for 25 to 30 minutes per lb. until internal temp on the ham shows 140°. A couple of books suggest 145° and 160° respectively. Shirley O. Corriher in her book “CookWise” suggests 140°. We found this to be exactly right. After removing from the Egg, it will climb up to 145° internally. The ham will retain it moistness and the flavor will go thru out the ham this way.

Baste ham with glazing sauce every 10 to 15 minutes during the last hour of cooking time. Glazing compound will burn, so do not start glazing the ham until the internal temp of the ham reaches 120°.

NOTE: The secret to this process is plenty of smoke and the real maple syrup and granular coffee crystals in the glazing sauce. Use a cheaper cut of ham like mentioned before, and people will think you bought an expensive ham that you had to “hock” your kids for! Yuk! Yuk! (see my pun there?) The glazing sauce will give the ham a fantastic taste, smell and color!

Enjoy!!! El Chefo Dave (aka: Dr. Chicken)

Dr. Chicken’s Sweet Kiss of Death Injectable Marinade

 

Please give both recipes a try!

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Good clean water (if your city or well water has an offensive taste, please use bottled water)

1 Cup of light Karo syrup (make sure it is light Karo brand syrup)

1/8 Cup of Amaretto liqueur (use the real stuff it makes a difference)

2 TBS of Watkins brand Butter Pecan extract (this is the only Butter-Pecan extract I could find)

1 TBS of Rum extract (again, I used Watkins because of the better taste than store bought)

1 tsp of Orange extract (this compliments the orange juice concentrate used in the glaze or basting sauce)

1 to 2 TBS Vanilla extract (again, I used Watkins because of taste after the first run)

Directions for blending:

Into a medium size sauce pan add the water, Karo syrup and Amaretto. Stir frequently and heat very slowly to avoid scorching the sugars in the syrup.

Then, add all the remaining ingredients and continue to stir and heat slowly. When the mix looks uniform in color and smooth, remove mix from the stove and allow it to cool to almost room temperature.

Directions for use:

 

Wrap ham in 2 layers of plastic wrap before starting the injection process.

Using a marinade hypodermic syringe, inject at least 2 fluid ozs. Per pound of meat in a grid pattern through out the entire ham and don’t be afraid to use up to 3 ounces per pound of meat.

Continue to inject the marinade into the ham until the entire amount of marinade is injected evenly into the ham.

Cook the ham as shown in the “Double Smoked Ham” recipe. Be sure to you your favorite wood for smoke flavoring.

Do not cook the ham beyond 145° internal to prevent over cooking and drying out the ham.

[untateve]

my ham came out good and everyone liked it...I just not a ham fan. Ham does not bring me joy.

[Bier Meister]

that glaze is right up my alley... like a lot of those ingredients (though very "fall" for me). with it being spring and you being in fla...... i might have gone pineapple juice, clove, and possibly integrated some scotch bonnets instead of the maple, oj, and coffee....

 

 

but that is just me being a typical nit-picking huddler

 

that recipe still sounds fantastic

[georgemoe]

my ham came out good and everyone liked it...I just not a ham fan.  Ham does not bring me joy.

 

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You need to get adjusted Unta. Ham rules.

 

Nice recipe!

[untateve]

You need to get adjusted Unta.    Ham rules.

 

Nice recipe!

 

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I don't dig on swine. A pig is a filthy m*&^*r f**&^%$r.

[georgemoe]

I don't dig on swine.  A pig is a filthy m*&^*r  f**&^%$r.

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Do you have the same view regarding chicken? Both are pretty filthy to me. But they clean up nice for cooking. Tasty too.