Homemade Tasso Ham

By JimMac

Tasso ham is a specialty of Louisiana. Slice into pieces before curing, then hot smoked until it is cooked through.

Ingredients

• SEASONING:
• 5 pound pork shoulder roast, cut into about 4 to 5 inch long, 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices
• 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Mix the seasoning together well. Rub the seasoning into the sliced meat, you want a lot on there, use it all. Place on a plate or tray, cover and refrigerate 3 days.

Before smoking put the Tasso on an elevated rack so that air can circulate around it, then put a fan on it for about 2 hours to dry it out. I also don’t use a water pan when smoking Tasso, this is something that I actually want to dry out during the smoking process.

I hot smoked this batch in an inexpensive upright barrel smoker using charcoal as the heat source (heated with a chimney starter, no lighter fluid or matchlight coals please.) I used Pecan chips that were soaked in water for 1 hour for the smoke.

I smoked this a total of about 4 hours, the first 2 hours at about 150-160°F. The second two hours at 180-190°F. The object is to get as much smoke into the meat, before cooking it all the way through. I brought the internal temperature of the meat to 150°F in the last 2 hours of smoking.

When finished I again put the Tasso in front of a fan for about 1 hour. Refrigerate. When completely cold portion and store the Tasso in vacuum sealed packages. Freeze.

Makes 5 pounds of Tasso.