RE: Weekend Things

I'm planning on prepping the ham by cutting a diamond pattern in the meat (trimming excess fat) ... about 2cm apart and maybe 2cm deep. This should add to the appearance and give a greater surface area for the smoke to adhere to.

When you put the wood chips in the smoker, try to choose chips that don't have any bark on them - bark tends to be more acrid, and leave a bitter taste. For wood chips, think of whatever you might eat ham with.... I usually use some maple and some apple. A little cherry will add some colour to the meat.

Put the wood chips on and let them smoulder for 5 minutes or so... watch the smoke. When it turns from a white, opaque smoke, to a slightly grey, semi-translucent smoke, it's ready to roll. Now, you can add the ham.

In the smoker, when you put the ham in (Thickest part down, bone sticking upwards), at the bottom, put a metal pan containing apple juice/cider vinegar and water. It will evaporate, providing a little bit of moisture to surface of the ham, allowing the smoke to stick to it better. The apple cider and/or apple juice will add a hint of flavour. While it's smoking, check it every 30 minutes or so and keep adding water or juice - so that it doesn't dry out (if it dries out, it will burn quickly and add a bitter taste). Place the pan under the ham, so the drippings fall into the pan instead of your smoker. If the drippings land on the heat source, it will burn up and add a bitter taste to your smoke.

Then, keep your temp of the smoker around 160C. For the time that you are doing the smoking.

Since you are going to finish it in the oven ... I'd plan to have it fully cooked (smoker + oven) about 1 hours before you are going to serve it. When you pull it from the smoker, wrap it in tin foil. Then put it in the oven until it's around 70C. It will continue to cook after you remove it. - likely ending around 75C-80C. When you pull it out, keep it in it's tin foil and wrap it all in some old towels and/or an insulated cooler.. This will allow it to cool slowly - and reabsorb the juices (mellowing the smoke)

Now, you've got an hour to make everything else. And when you are ready to plate, all that needs to happen is to pull the ham out of the cooler/towels, then unwrap the foil and carve.

I'm making many assumptions. But I know that you have had experience in a kitchen... so obviously treat this as simple recommendations ... ham in Finland is likely much different than Ham in Canada. If you think your ham still has lots of collagen/connective tissue in it, use a longer cook at a lower temperature etc etc. Since your ham has already been smoked, use milder woods (like fruit wood)... but if it hasn't been smoked, you can add some hickory/pecan/crazy Finnish wood. :)

Good luck!!!