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Christmas: Bourbon and Brown Sugar-Crusted Ham

Source of Recipe


From "The Christmas Table" by Diane Morgan



List of Ingredients



• 1 bone-in smoked ham, preferably the butt or upper half (7 to 9 pounds)
  
• 24 to 30 whole cloves
  
• 1½ cups packed golden brown sugar
  
• 1½ Tbsp dry mustard
  
• 5 Tbsp bourbon whiskey, plus 1 tablespoon for the sauce (optional)
  
• 3½ cups apple cider
  
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
  
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
  






Instructions



1. Have ready a roasting pan just large enough to hold the ham without crowding. Place a flat roasting rack in the pan.
   
   
2. Remove the ham from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake it. Using a sharp boning knife, trim away any skin and all but ¼ inch of the external fat from the ham. Set the ham fat-side up, and make parallel cuts ½-inch deep and 1½ inches apart all over the ham. Give the ham a quarter turn and repeat to produce a cross-hatched diamondlike pattern. Stick a clove in the center of each diamond. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, mustard, and bourbon and mix to form a paste. Rub the paste all over the ham. Set the ham, fat side up, on the rack in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside until ready to bake.
   
   
3. About 30 minutes before baking the ham, position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
   
   Pour about 2½ cups of the apple cider into the pan to a depth of ¼ inch. Bake the ham, uncovered, basting it at least twice and adding the remaining apple cider as needed to maintain a ¼-inch depth, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the ham, not touching bone, registers 120° F, 1¾ to 2 hours. (It should take about 15 minutes per pound for the ham to reach an internal temperature between 120° and 125° F.) Transfer the ham to a carving board or warmed platter and tent with aluminum foil. Let the ham rest for 20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to set.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, pour the pan juices into a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the fat to rise to the top, and then spoon off the fat and discard. Pour the de-fatted pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk in the maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Taste the sauce. If the flavor is concentrated and tasty, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. If the sauce tastes thin, then simmer the sauce for a few minutes to reduce the pan juices and concentrate the flavors before adding the cornstarch mixture. Add the 1 tablespoon bourbon, if desired, and keep warm.
   
   
5. Use a sharp carving knife to cut the ham into thin slices. Pour the sauce into a warmed sauceboat and pass at the table.
   
   Serves 10 to 12