Smoked Pineapple Ham Recipe

Harry Nilsson may have put the lime in the coconut, but recipe developer Petar Marshall recommends you put the pineapple on the ham. Fans of Hawaiian pizza are likely to be familiar with this flavor combination, as their beloved and controversial pie places the yellow tropical fruit in the spotlight alongside Canadian bacon (Hawaiian pizza actually originated in Canada). The combination of sweet, savory, and smoky is delicious, but that's not all: Pineapple also makes a good meat tenderizer. What's not to love? Marshall's recipe calls for a hefty bone-in ham and convenient canned pineapple and relies on a smoker and sweet pineapple glaze to introduce maximum tastiness and tenderness into the meat.

This isn't a recipe you can whip up in less than an hour on a busy weeknight, but all that time spent in the smoker is what makes this meat so flavorful. "The better quality the ham, the better the dish will be. However, even a more budget-friendly ham will develop great flavor thanks to the smoking and glazing process," Marshall explains. Here's how the magic happens.

A good pineapple-glazed smoked ham starts with ham, of course — you'll want a 10-pound, bone-in ham, so there'll be plenty of meat to go around. You'll also need canned pineapple and the juice it came in, pineapple preserves, more pineapple juice, and some brown sugar. Plus, toothpicks, to help adhere fruit to meat. "I used canned pineapple for convenience, flavor, and moisture content. Its juice helps to create a delicious glaze," Marshall notes.

This part should be fun: Use those toothpicks to secure each slice of pineapple to the ham, making sure the meat gets evenly covered with pieces of fruit. While you're at it, preheat your smoker to 225 F.

Making the glaze is easy and quick, and will feel familiar to anyone who's made simple syrup before. Simply combine the brown sugar, pineapple juice, and pineapple preserves and heat over low until the mixture simmers and the sugar dissolves.

Place your pineapple-studded ham in your smoker's bottom rack, with a sheet pan below it to minimize messy drips. After a few hours in the smoker, your meat should be at 110 F. When it is, apply the glaze every 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer tells you the ham has reached 140 F internally. Some tips from Marshall: "There's no need to spray the ham during the smoking period since there's moisture from the pineapple, but it won't hurt if you want. A loaf pan of water inside the smoker can help if needed to add moisture. Glazing too early may result in burnt glaze."

You've patiently waited for your ham to reach smoky-sweet perfection, and now it's time to feast upon the meaty fruits of your labor. "No need for resting. It's ready to slice and eat straight off the smoker," Marshall says, to the delight of hungry folks everywhere.

If you need some side dish inspiration, Marshall says he "love[s] to pair this ham with classic mashed potatoes and asparagus. It's also great diced up over rice." This recipe makes quite a sizeable amount of food, so you may very well end up with extra. "Leftovers can be stored wrapped airtight in the fridge for three days," he says. "I like to wrap leftovers well and freeze them as well." Now, the next time you get your hands on a ham, you'll know what to do.