Vegan Ham Watermelon
This vegan substitute for ham will have your vegan friends asking for more!
Equipment
- Pellet smoker
Ingredients
- 1 Watermelon large
Instructions
Preparing The Watermelon For Brining
- Start with carefully cutting the ends off of the watermelon and turning it onto a flat side.
- Then cut off the rind, working carefully to cut off as little flesh as possible.
- Next, lay the watermelon on the cutting board lengthwise.
- Find the side of the watermelon that has the largest surface area and set that face-up.
- Lastly, cut 1-inch deep diagonal slits in opposite directions to form a cross-hatch pattern on top of the fruit.
Brining the Watermelon
- Rub the brine mixture all over the watermelon, making sure to get it between the cross-hatch cuts. Just be careful to not tear the watermelon.
- Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place the watermelon on the rack with the cross-hatched side up and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least 12 hours. This will pull out any excess moisture and allow the flavors from the spice rub to permeate the entire watermelon.
- Roasting The Watermelon
- Next, preheat your smoker to 450°F. Spread hickory chips and just two tablespoons of its soaking liquid over the bottom of the roasting pan. Set a roasting rack on top.
- Place your watermelon, cross-hatch side up on the roasting rack. Then cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil.
Smoking And Baking The Watermelon
- It is recommended to cook the watermelon for 30 minutes, at 450°F.
- After 30 minutes, reduce the smoker temperature to 250°F.
- Continue baking the watermelon for 3 hours, then remove the foil and roast for another 3 hours.
- After the 6 hours are up, remove the watermelon from the smoker and turn your broiler on high.
- Carefully remove the rack from the roasting pan and place it on a baking sheet.
- Discard the excess liquid and hickory chips from the pan before returning the rack with the watermelon to the roasting pan.
- Brush 1/4 cup of the chipotle and honey glaze on top of the roasted watermelon.
- Broil for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan as needed, until the glaze has evenly caramelized.
- If one spot is getting darker more quickly than others, use foil to cover that specific area. After 10 minutes, remove the watermelon from the smoker and let it cool slightly.
- Transfer the watermelon to a large serving platter with sliced oranges, fresh rosemary, or thyme sprigs using long metal spatulas
- Glaze the warm watermelon with another 1/4 cup of the glaze.
- Lastly, slice the watermelon and your vegan watermelon ham is ready to be served alongside the remaining glaze!