I made Chicken Jambalaya for our house (our Urban Homestead) warming a year and a half ago and it called for Tasso ham. Popular in Cajun country, it’s not something I’ve ever seen here, even in this major foodie region. The recipe gave “any smoked ham” as an alternative. So, the jambalaya turned out great even with this alternative.

I have plans to make the recipe again and it just so happens that in the book that is the basis of the #Charcutepalooza challenge I’m participating in has a recipe for it. It’s pretty simple, but requires a smoker. Luckily, I just got one of those too.

The recipe starts out with one pound slabs of pork shoulder. They’re cured in a very quick 4 hours, slathered with spices and then smoked to 150°F internal temperature. That took a couple of hours on my new Bradley Portable Smoker. Seen on the right.

The hams are super fiery hot spice wise. But the ham taste is terrific. I’ve rubbed some of the spices off and will try it in a couple of weeks with the jambalaya. I’m sure it’s going to be great. Good to know I can make small batches of ham at home.