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Thanksgiving: Baked City Ham with Plum Glaze

Source of Recipe

From "The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen" by Matt Lee and Ted Lee


Recipe Introduction

"Like most Southerners, we're partial to the intense flavors of a country ham, the kind that's dry-cured in salt and sugar for several weeks, then smoked for another few weeks, then aged for months, losing water weight until it's super-concentrated and salty. But there's another type—a brined ham (sometimes called "city ham")—that is soaked or injected with a brine of water, salt, and sugar before being cooked and then smoked for just a few hours. We see plenty of these glazed brined hams on Charleston tables nowadays, and we're happy when we do: they're delicious, and they make a showstopping preparation for crowds—at Easter, Thanksgiving, and family reunions. These city hams are almost too easy to prepare. It is fully cooked, so all that's required is a sweet, spicy glaze, brushed on during the last hour of reheating. A glaze is optional—but desired, since it will provide a deliciously spicy, sweet, aromatic counterpoint to the brininess of the pork. A note on carving: you don't need a special knife to carve a ham, although you'll want to choose the longest, sharpest one you've got. Put the ham on a cutting board, and starting at the narrower shank end, make vertical cuts perpendicular to the bone, about ¼ inch thick. Continue to slice until you have several servings' worth. Then cut horizontally, along the bone, to release all the slices you've made. Once you've sliced through that entire side, you can turn the ham and proceed in similar fashion on the other side."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 (15- to 17-pound) bone-in, fully cooked, whole brined ham
â—¦ 1 tablespoon whole cloves
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ ½ cup chopped shallots (1 large)
â—¦ 1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
â—¦ Kosher salt
â—¦ 2 cups chicken broth
â—¦ 8 ounces pitted dried plums (aka prunes), quartered
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or red or white wine vinegar


Recipe

Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325° F.

Put the ham on a cutting board flat side down and score the rounded side all over with diagonal cuts about 1 ½ inches apart and ¼ inch deep, forming a diamond pattern. In the center of each diamond, insert a single clove.

Put the ham in a roasting pan and bake for 3 hours.

While the ham bakes, prepare the glaze:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until frothy and add the shallots, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft and fragrant, but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and the prunes, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a food processor, add the mustard and vinegar, and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Remove the ham from the oven and remove the cloves; brush the ham all over with the glaze. Return the ham to the oven and continue to bake, glazing the ham once or twice more until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 135° F, about 3 to 5 minutes per pound, or 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes longer. Remove the ham from the oven, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Serves 24 to 26