Welcome to BBQpitboys.com: A Pitmaster's Apple Ham Casserole Recipe

As we sit down at the pit, I can already smell the sweet aroma of apple ham wafting through the air. Today, we're going to cook up an apple ham casserole that's sure to impress even the most seasoned barbecue enthusiasts. For this recipe, we'll be using two half shoulder pork butts, each weighing around eight pounds. These babies are ready to go, having been water cured and waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

Before we get started, let's take a closer look at our ingredients. We've got two hickory logs that we'll be using to give our casserole that classic barbecue flavor. But before we can do that, we need to prep our pork butts. We'll be removing some of the skin and excess fat, as we don't want any unwanted textures in our final dish. Next, we'll cut the pork into about one-to-two inch chunks, depending on your desired level of tenderness.

Now it's time to get our ham game on! We've got two water-cured hams that are ready to be chunked up and added to our casserole. With a total weight of around 10 pounds, these babies are going to bring the heat. But don't worry, we'll be balancing out their richness with some sweet and tangy ingredients.

First, let's add our apples to the mix. We've peeled and cored them, and now they're ready to be tossed into the pan alongside our ham chunks. Our homemade applesauce is made with love and care, using a secret recipe that we'll be sharing soon. Next, we'll add a cup or so of your favorite barbecue sauce, which will help bring everything together.

Now it's time to talk heat! We've got some cherry peppers on hand, pickled to perfection and ready to add a spicy kick to our casserole. But don't worry, we're not going to overpower the dish – these babies are there to enhance the flavors, not overwhelm them. And to really tie everything together, we'll be adding a splash of apple beer, which will give our casserole that perfect balance of sweet and savory.

But wait, there's more! We've also got chunks of pineapple on hand, which will add a pop of sweetness and moisture to our dish. By cooking these ingredients in indirect heat, around 300 degrees Fahrenheit, we'll be able to bring out the full flavors of each component without overpowering any one thing.

As we cook our casserole for about two hours, we'll need to make sure it's getting even cooking throughout. That means spinning the pan every 30 minutes or so, making sure that everything is golden brown and deliciously caramelized. And don't forget to baste those ham chunks with some of that glorious barbecue sauce – it's going to be the key to unlocking this dish's full potential.

The waiting game begins! With our casserole cooking away in the background, we can take a moment to appreciate the aromas wafting from the pit. And then, just when you think it's all done... we add the finishing touches and let out a collective sigh of satisfaction.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, our apple ham casserole is ready! Take a look at that – isn't it beautiful? The pork is tender, the apples are sweet, and the barbecue sauce has brought everything together in perfect harmony. And don't even get us started on those chunks of pineapple... they're the icing on the cake.

Now, we know what you're thinking: how do I serve this masterpiece? Well, the beauty of it is that you can! Serve it just like this, or maybe try adding some rice, corn on the cob, and taters to round out the meal. And don't worry if you've got leftovers in the fridge – we certainly won't judge.

As we wrap up this recipe for our beloved apple ham casserole, we want to give a special thank you to all of our fans out there who continue to support us on this wild ride called BBQpitboys.com. We're honored to share our passion with you and can't wait to see what's next. Until then, keep on cooking, y'all!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(blues music)♫ Gonna smoke me a fatty brisket♫ I got my barbecue shoes on♫ Gonna smoke me a fatty brisket♫ I Got my barbecue shoes on♫ Got my natural case♫ And got the hogs on the run ♫- Welcome to BBQpitboys.com.Today we're cooking up anapple ham casserole at the pit.And it's real easy to do.(twangy guitar music)For this recipe, today I'musing two half shoulderpork butts, sometimes called butt hams.And these here are weighingabout eight pounds each.Yeah, they're gonna be good.So let me show you howwe're gonna set this up.What we wanna do hereis take your old hickoryand we're gonna take off some of the skin,and maybe a litle bit of the excess fat,because we don't want it in our casserole.And then we're gonna cut theseup into about one, two inch,or maybe larger or smaller,or whatever you want, chunks.'Cause this is gonna begoing in our casserole.Now this type of ham we'reusing here has been water cured.It's ready to go, it's ready to eat.You could just eat it just like this.Or do as I'm doing here, just chunk em upfor a pit boys casserole.Oh yeah.(moaning)All right, we've cut up two hams here,we've probably got about 10 pounds of ham.Yeah.We're gonna throw em in this pan.Now if you've never had one of theseapple ham casserolesbefore, you definitelygotta check this out.Oh this is some good eating at the pit.Oh yeah.Yeah, I could fast forwardthis video now, right?But I kinda like doing this,and take a look at that.All right, the ham is in the pan.Now, I've got two apples, we'vepeeled em, we've cored em,we're throwing em in here, yeah.And here I've got somehomemade applesauce.We're using about oneto one and a half cups.And now, putting in some sauce,and use your favoritebarbecue sauce, right?Oh man, we're using about 40 ounces.Maybe about 1100 grams.And then what you want to do is mix it up.Oh yeah, and you gotta use your hands.Now like I said, use yourfavorite barbecue saucein this, oh man, 'causewe're gonna slow cookthis now for two hours, maybe three.(heavy rock music)Now, we're gonna add a touch of heat,and I've got some cherry peppers here,so add a couple cherrypeppers, maybe three or four.I could do this all day, eh?Yeah these are pickled cherry peppers,you know all about these right?Perfect, now you could use apickled jalapeno if you want.That's pit master privilege.Now I'm gonna bless the panwith a little bit of apple beer.Yeah this is not your mama's regular oldpotato and ham casserole here.You've got to definitely check this out.Now, last thing I'm gonna do here,is I've got chunks of pineapple.We're gonna throw em on top.This is gonna add additionalmoisture and sweetnessto this dish, and it's plenty sweet.Now I'm gonna put em on thegrill, opposite the hot coals,It's called indirectcooking, and I want tocook this at about 300 degrees fahrenheit.And you cook em as long as you want,but about two hours, two and a half hours,slow cook is good.Now about halfway through(excited groaning), we want tospin this pan around toget some even cookinggoing on, you all know about that, right?We want it even cooking and then you mightwanna do some basting too.(blues music)Take a look at thatI'm losing my voice over this, aw yeah.You do it any way you want, oh man.All right, we're gonna gomaybe another 45 minutes.(heavy rock music)All right, and in the miracle of time,this apple ham casserole is done.Take a look at that!Now it's become realtender, because it's been inthis broth, this barbecue sauce.It's been in there withthe pineapple sauce,with the apple sauce (exciting moaning),and this will help tenderize theselittle pieces of ham right here, right.You could serve it just like this,or maybe serve it on rice,Or maybe with corn on the cob and taters.You serve it any way you like, man.I got some leftovers in thefridge, I'm still good right?All right!Look at that, pineapple, slow cooked ham,barbecue flavor, slowcooked in the charcoal.Of course we do apologize for eatingin front of you like this,but we call this pit master privilege.(fire crackling)So the next time you'relooking for a recipefor your barbecue, checkus out at BBQpitboys.com(bird crowing)\n"