Sous Vide Ham question

It sounds like that would work really good. It would also be interesting to try and cook it to a lower temp, like 140, since it would be safe to eat. Might hold in even more moisture than usual.

Let us know how it goes!

Here are the results of my trial:

I brined the pork loin roast for 3 days in a solution of salt, pink salt (#1), water, sugar, pickling spice, ground cloves and molasses.

Last night I took the roast (now un-cooked ham) from the brine and rinsed it in cold water 2-3 times and let it soak for about 15 min.

I placed the un-cooked ham in a commercial style 12 quart plastic tub. I was able to set in the tub on one end so that more surface area was exposed. Then I put the lid on and left one side cracked. I inserted the hose of my smoking gun loaded with hickory chips. I blasted the tub with smoke until it was coming out the sides. I let smoke come out for several seconds before I removed the hose and closed the lid.

I then vacuum packed the un-cooked ham and cooked it at 140 for about 6 1/2 hours. I did refer to the Help for the Busy Cook book with regards to time and temp. I decided to go to 140 because I was afraid that the texture of the ham would be too soft if it was not cooked at a higher temp.

I could not help myself this morning so I pulled the bag from the water and let it sit for about 45 minutes. When I cut open the bag I could smell the effects of the smoking last night.

Since this is a ham I decided that I would not "finish" the ham with a sear or on the grill (not to mention that it was 5:00 am and my wife and baby were still sleeping.

I was very impressed with the results. There was a good smoke flavor, the texture was good, it was not too salty and I could taste a bit of sweetness from the sugar and molasses.

These are the things I will try and improve on:
-Color - The pink from the brining/curing did not make it through the entire ham. The middle of the ham was still pink but it looked more like a "medium rare" pink than a "cure" pink. More time in the brine may correct that (but may also result in a more salty flavor).
-Finish - In the past I had finished hams that I have cured as above but then put in a smoker to cook. I finished those hams with a Honey Baked Ham type crust. This is basically a sugar and spice mixture that you rub on and finish with a torch. I think that I will try this next time as well.

Thanks for sharing, I had never thought of doing a real sous vide ham before! That's a good idea about not going too low on the temperature since you definitely want some bite to the meat.

Thanks again for passing this on, it's now definitely on my cooking to-do list!