Sunday Dinner, Monday's Sandwiches: Dub Shack BBQ Goes Ham

I just realized that I have never done a ham recipe for the blog, and I haven't smoked one in years. To consider the time since the last one: Caeli hadn't been born yet, President Obama was in office, the overnight political shift from baby blue to blood red had not occurred in Arkansas yet, and I had a Masterbilt bullet smoker on the top of the hill. Obviously, Dub Shack BBQ as a hustle and burgeoning sauce empire was years away as is the refrigerator full of Lazy Magnolia and Diamond Bear beers tucked away in the back corner.

So...it's time to go ham.

INGREDIENTS 

One spiral cut ham

Your favorite rub(s). In this case, I'm doing Fire and Smoke Society's Sweet Preacher rub

Honey mustard as a binder 

Dub Shack BBQ's Get Honey barbecue sauce

STEP ONE. If you have not purchased your ham, it would be a pretty good time to get one. Otherwise - and if catching the post-Christmas sale at the preferred big box retailer or meat market is your thing, grab the one that has been in the deep freezer. In the meantime, allow it to thaw slowly in the refrigerator until it is pliable.

STEP TWO. Remove the ham from the refrigerator and set it on the counter or cutting board to reach room temperature. Apply a nice lather of honey mustard (trust me, you won't taste it) and your favorite rub all.over the ham. In this case, Fire and Smoke Society's Sweet Preacher earned the assignment.

STEP THREE. Head outside and light your grill or smoker with the products of choice. Since the PK also is the No. 1 draft pick, bank those lump charcoals to one side with a few Applewood chunks sprinkled throughout the lit coals before bringing el jamon for a smoke-kissed sauna at 275 degrees away on the cool side of the cooker. This is not a timed cook rather the ham is being smoked a second time around to 140 degrees, so hang around and chil by the cooker for a spell. 

If you can't keep still long enough, then make your glaze. 

STEP FOUR. Because I couldn't stay still, the next step is making a glaze. You can use the package that your ham came with, or you can doctor it up a little bit by adding your flair such as brown sugar, the same barbecue rub you seasoned the ham with, apple juice, and the most known unknown sauce in Dub Shack BBQ's Get Honey barbecue sauce. You can either paint the protein with a brush or pour it all over from the mixing cup: Just make sure you hit all of the curves and crevices in the protein. Return to the smoker and allow it to tack up for about half an hour but not too long - sugar does darken the longer it sits in smoke and near fire. We want incredible ham, not something acrid.

STEP FIVE. After pulling the showstopper, let it rest for at least twenty minutes before slicing into the ham. Enjoy!

My thoughts: Maybe I shouldn't have waited eleven years between ham cooks because my, my, my! We are going to be eating sandwiches for the next several days before I decide to freeze for another day or find members of the DSB Meatlist to pass this to.

Just because I don't eat as much pork as I once did does not preclude me from serving damn good barbecue to the masses. Besides, it's a superb way of working on sauce pairings. Anyway, thank you for reading the first AD&AD post of 2025. If you're looking in trying another ham for holidays, Sunday dinner, or just because, peep the recipe out and add your own twist to it. Y'all be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!