I have two smoked and cured hams averaging about four to five pounds a piece that I purchased from a local farmer. I also have a rotisserie attachment for my gas grill, which also has a back burner, that I have yet to use. I'm having family over for a holiday dinner on Friday evening and I'm seeking out the best method for preparing these hams. I only have two forks for my spit rod, will it be OK to jam the two hams together or should I just roast them in the oven? From the looks of things, it appears my two hams were at one time one ham.
This article suggests a "reverse brine", where I should place the hams in water and change it out every 12 hours for the next three days. Is this worth doing? This also suggest basting with Dr. Pepper, I'd prefer to do something that's not soda based.
Also, I've seen some articles where they are scoring the ham and applying a variety of different rubs.
Best Answer
If it is a country ham, meaning salt-cured then you need to boil the salt out of it. I may get flamed for this, but that article is not how I process my ham. So here is what I do.
I get a lard tin, I usually have to cut off the hock to make the ham fit but since yours is split you may not have to. If it is not a salt cured ham, and is a city ham it may not be fit to eat if you do this, you could make ham soup maybe.
Anyway put the ham in the tin fill it full of water bring it up to a boil let it boil for about fifteen minutes then bring the heat down to medium-low for about 1/2 an hour then let it cool down enough so you can take it off the stove, but just barely cool enough. While it is cooling down get blankets and spread them out on the floor, one or two thin ones should do, then get some newspaper and spread that in the middle of the blankets put the tin in the middle of the newspaper and wrap the tin with the newspaper then wrap the blankets around it and then push it over into a corner overnight.
The next morning pull the ham out of the water give it a rinse and pat it dry, it will still be warm-to-hot. (I rotisserie ham hocks and small hams I get from my butcher but I have never done a full size ham I would imagine the amount of drippings would make a mess though.) Next I get my big roasting pan put the ham in it and pat it down with brown sugar, medium or dark is up to you. Then I cover it with aluminum foil, making sure I tent the foil so it doesn't touch the ham, and let it cook usually between four and five hours for a good size ham at about 325. The last half hour I take off the aluminum foil and if I feel it is necessary I add more brown sugar and let it caramelize.
I have been cooking ham this way for as long as I have been cooking and the process is passed down from my mother and her father before her. Farther back than that I cannot confirm or deny. :)
Here is a great article on country hams and other hams, just to make sure you do have a country ham, and gives other great suggestions on how to cook a ham, although they do it differently than I do.
http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/zen_of_ham.html