Tis the season, and ham is in the air! Well, maybe not. But it’s certainly on my mind. I plan on recreating today’s recipe, Bourbon Glazed Ham, for my Christmas Eve feast. If I have time, I’ll make some bread and then sit there chomping away at chunks of bread and ham with a touch of Caribbean hot sauce until my body tells me enough.
Ham is a must every Christmas for my family. We enjoy it before Christmas Day and after. Many midnight snacks feature a hot ham open sandwich, so long as my brother hasn’t cut away a hefty portion to take home with him. My family can get very cut throat where food in concerned.
My mother usually cooks a traditional ham, but I like to change things up a bit from time to time to make things interesting. Bourbon Glazed Ham will definitely make things interesting. Aside from bourbon the glaze has some Asian elements with a kick of hot sauce. Every bite is sweet, spicy and smokey, a little like yours truly (wink).
This ham needs very little partners to make your tastebuds happy, but if you can get your hands on some caper berries the two together is really nice.
You’ll need a smoked bone-in ham, approx. 6 lb in weight for this recipe. Try to find a cut of ham that has a decent expanse of rind to glaze.
This is a really nice recipe, that the whole family can enjoy over and over. You can use a few slices for brunch with eggs, a late night sandwich with your favorite condiment, or with salad for lunch. Save some for a soup, or a rice bowl. The options are endless.
Bourbon Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Sriracha or hot sauce
- 6 lb uncured bone-in smoked ham
Equipment & Utensils
- Saucepan
- Strainer
- Roasting tin with wire rack
- Aluminum foil if needed
Instructions
- Rinse ham and pat dry with paper towels.
- Score ham in a criss-cross pattern and set aside,
- Tip the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan and place on a high heat.
- When glaze begins to bubble, lower heat just above medium and stir till reduced to one third. The glaze should be thick and concentrated. Be careful, it will be very hot.
- Strain glaze and allow to cool.
- Fill roasting tin with water up to just below the wire rack.
- Place ham on the rack in the roasting tin.
- Generously mop ham with glaze and place in a preheated oven at 325.
- Allow to cook for approx. 1 hour 45 minutes or 15-18 mins per pound.
- Generously mop ham with glaze every 30 minutes.
- Cover top of ham with foil if it begins to brown too quickly and then remove for the final 10 mins.
- Serve hot or cold.
