Remove the ham from the refrigerator 60 minutes before you plan to cook. Letting the meat come closer to room temperature helps it cook more evenly and absorb smoke better right from the start. While it rests on the counter, fire up the grill or smoker and target a steady temperature of 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Set up your cooker for indirect heat, meaning the coals or heat source should be on one side and the ham will sit on the opposite side away from direct flame. Place your aluminum drip pan beneath where the ham will sit and fill it halfway with apple juice. This creates a humid environment in the cook chamber that keeps the surface of the ham moist and helps the smoke adhere.

While the smoker is coming up to temp, score the surface of the ham in a diamond crosshatch pattern. Use a sharp knife to cut about a quarter inch deep through the fat cap, spacing the cuts roughly 1 inch apart. This serves two purposes: it allows the rub and smoke to penetrate deeper into the meat, and it creates those beautiful visual diamond patterns that open up as the ham cooks. If your ham has a thick fat cap, you can trim it down to about a quarter inch even before scoring. Do not remove all the fat because it bastes the meat as it renders down during the long cook.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and dry mustard powder. Mix well until fully combined. Coat the entire surface of the ham with a thin, even layer of yellow mustard, using your hands or a brush to get into all the crevices. The mustard acts as a binder and you will not taste it once the bark develops. Immediately press the dry rub onto every surface of the ham, patting it firmly so it adheres to the mustard. Be generous and make sure the scored cuts are seasoned as well. At this point your ham should look deeply colored and well-coated.

Once the smoker is holding steady at 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, add two to three of your apple or cherry wood chunks directly to the coals or wood box. Place the ham cut-side down on the grate over the drip pan, away from direct heat. Insert your probe thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, making sure it is not touching the bone as the bone conducts heat differently and will give you a false reading. Close the lid and let the smoke do its work. Resist the urge to open the lid for at least the first 90 minutes. Every time you lift the lid you lose heat and smoke, which extends your cook time.

After the first 90 minutes, check your wood situation and add another chunk if the smoke has died down. At this point you can begin spritzing the ham every 45 to 60 minutes with apple juice using a spray bottle. A light mist is all you need. The spritz adds a tiny bit of moisture to the surface, which helps the bark develop and keeps things looking glossy. You are looking for the surface to gradually deepen in color from the rub stage to a rich mahogany. The bark is building when the surface looks dry to the touch between spritz sessions. Keep your smoker temperature steady in that 225 to 250 degree Fahrenheit range throughout.

While the ham smokes, prepare your honey-mustard glaze. Combine the honey, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and ground cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly for about 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the glaze just barely begins to simmer and thicken slightly. Remove from heat and set aside. This glaze is applied in the final stages of the cook, not early on. If you add a sugar-heavy glaze too early the sugars will burn before the ham finishes cooking, giving you a bitter rather than caramelized result.

When the internal temp of the ham reaches 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit on your probe thermometer, it is time to apply the first coat of glaze. Brush a generous layer of the honey-mustard glaze over every surface of the ham, working it into the scored cuts. Close the lid and let it cook for another 20 to 25 minutes. Then apply a second coat of glaze and repeat. You want to build up two to three layers of glaze during this final phase, each one caramelizing and setting before the next coat goes on. This is how you build that gorgeous, sticky, lacquered exterior that looks like it came out of a world-class smokehouse.

Continue monitoring the internal temp closely during this final glaze phase. For a pre-cooked ham, pull it from the smoker when the internal temp hits 140 degrees Fahrenheit. For a fresh raw ham, the USDA safe internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The total cook time for a 7 to 8 pound ham at 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit will typically run 4 to 5 hours, but always cook to temp not to time. Every ham is different, every smoker runs differently, and your thermometer is your most reliable guide. When you hit the target temp and the surface has that beautiful dark mahogany color with a set, tacky glaze, your ham is done.

Remove the ham from the smoker and place it on a large cutting board with a juice groove. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. This resting period is non-negotiable. When you rest the meat, the muscle fibers relax and reabsorb the juices that have been pushed to the center during cooking. Cut into it too early and those juices run right off the board and onto your feet. After resting, slice along the bone and serve with any remaining warm glaze on the side for drizzling. Take a moment to admire that smoke ring just beneath the surface before the crowd descends.