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Baked Ham with Sweet Tea Glaze

Source of Recipe

"The Southern Sympathy Cookbook" by Perre Coleman Magness


Recipe Introduction

"I always look for a bone-in, fully cooked, not sliced, smoked city ham with no water added. Sliced hams tend to dry out when being reheated and water-added hams can have a spongy texture. And a ham bone is a great thing to have around for cooking greens or making soup. Sometimes I order online from wonderful Southern smokehouses or go to a local meat market."

List of Ingredients

For the ham:
â—¦ 1 (7- to 8-pound) bone-in half ham, unsliced

For the glaze:
â—¦ 1 ½ cups water
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic
â—¦ 2 black tea bags
â—¦ 4 sprigs fresh mint
â—¦ ¾ cup light brown sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cider vinegar


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Place the ham on the rack of a roasting pan (I use the one that came with my oven). Use a sharp knife to score a diamond pattern in the top of the ham, about 1 inch deep and ¼ inch apart. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of the roasting pan, then bake the ham for 2 ½ to 3 hours, about 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the ham reaches 130° F. I like to insert a probe thermometer with an alarm, so I can get on about my business until the alarm sounds.

Brush the top and sides of the ham with half the glaze and bake for a further 20 minutes, then finish with the remaining glaze and another 10 minutes in the oven.

Remove the ham to a large cutting board and cover loosely with foil. The ham can be sliced and served warm, or left to cool then refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.

For the glaze:
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan with a lid. Peel the garlic cloves and crush with the flat side of a knife. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tea bags, garlic cloves, and mint. Cover the pan and leave to steep for 30 minutes.

Fish out the tea bags, garlic, and mint, then add the brown sugar and vinegar and return to a medium-high heat. Cook the glaze, stirring frequently, until it has reduced by a little more than half and is thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Keep the glaze warm over low heat.

Serves a crowd