Smoked Pulled Ham Recipe: Tender, Smoky, and Ready to Shred
Learn how this smoked pulled ham recipe takes a bone-in ham and transforms it into tender and flavorful meat perfect for any occasion.
Smoked Pulled Ham Recipe: Tender, Smoky, and Ready to Shred
This recipe comes from Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church BBQ, YouTube personality, and friend of Montana Knife Company.
16
15 minutes
12 hours
320
BBQ
Main Course
A smoked pulled ham doesn’t need a holiday to land on the table. This smoked pulled ham recipe takes a bone-in ham, hits it with sweet seasoning, and smokes it low and slow until the meat practically falls apart on its own.
Most store-bought hams are already smoked and cured, which means the heavy lifting is done before you even fire up the smoker. The second round of smoke adds a deeper bark, richer flavor, and a tenderness you can’t get from an oven alone. Braise it with pineapple nectar and brown sugar, pull it apart, and you’ve got a smoked pulled ham that works for Sunday dinner, game day sliders, or a backyard cookout.
Ingredients
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1 8–10-lb. bone-in smoked ham (not spiral-cut)
Your favorite sweet BBQ seasoning (a hickory- or brown-sugar blend works well here)
6 oz. pineapple nectar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
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Half-size disposable steam pan
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Instant-read thermometer
Insulated gloves for pulling
- A clean, sharp kitchen knife
Directions
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Take the ham out of the package and leave it wet. The liquid from the package helps the seasoning stick, and that’s how you build a great bark. The ham is already salty from the cure, so a sweet seasoning gives you the right balance.
- Season the entire surface generously. Use a sharp, clean knife to score the outside of the ham in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about a quarter-inch deep. This lets the seasoning and smoke penetrate deeper into the meat.
Let the seasoning set for at least 15 minutes before the ham hits the smoker.
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Set your smoker to 195°F for a long, overnight cook with maximum smoke flavor. Hickory, pecan, maple, or fruit wood all pair well with ham. Place the ham directly on the grill grate.
Smoke until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. At 195°F, this takes roughly eight to 10 hours. If you’re short on time, bump the smoker to 250°F and you’ll hit 165°F in about four hours. The lower temperature gives you better bark and deeper smoke flavor, so go slow if you can.
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Once the ham hits 165°F and the bark looks right, pull it off the smoker. Place it in a half-size disposable steam pan and pour the pineapple nectar into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the ham.
Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Increase the smoker temperature to 300°F and return the ham to the grate.
Cook until the internal temperature reaches 203°F and the meat feels tender when probed. The probe should slide in with almost no resistance.
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Remove the ham from the smoker and take off the foil. Lift the ham out of the pan and set it on a cutting board, keeping all the liquid in the pan.
- Using insulated gloves, pull and shred the ham apart. Use a sharp kitchen knife to trim away any large chunks of fat or connective tissue as you go.
Pour the braising liquid back over the shredded meat and toss to combine. Taste as you go and adjust until the sweetness and salt are where you want them.
Pile the smoked pulled ham onto sweet rolls, slider buns, or serve it straight on the plate.
