Whole time:1 hour 45 minutes
Servings:12 to 16
Prior to now, I’ve discovered ham to be hit and miss, which I now can attribute to 2 issues: the standard of the ham and whether or not the preparer used a store-bought or home made glaze.
Ham high quality largely comes all the way down to water content material, which might be decided by the labels “ham,” “ham with pure juices,” “ham, water added” and “ham and water product,” indicating the quantity of water in rising order. Pure “ham” is your finest wager when it comes to taste and texture, however “ham with pure juices” is cheaper in the event you’re on a funds. Should you can, keep away from the opposite two classes.
Subsequent, it is advisable to resolve if you need a bone-in or boneless ham. Ham with the bone is barely extra flavorful (plus you should use the bone to make shares and soups), however the ease of carving boneless hams is likely to be definitely worth the sacrifice. A 3rd choice is bone-in, spiral-cut ham if you need the perfect of each worlds.
By way of glazes, the store-bought jars my dad and mom foisted upon me have all the time tasted synthetic. Or maybe it was the pink dye they typically included that made them look synthetic that turned me off. Regardless, all you actually need to make a ham glaze at house is a sweetener — to steadiness the saltiness of the meat — and flavorings.
This glaze — that includes bourbon, molasses, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and spices — got here to me once I threw it collectively for a Christmas dinner potluck. It’s been caught in my head ever since.
Bourbon tends to have a touch of sweetness. Molasses has a bitter, earthy, wealthy sugariness that I really like, and I pair it with brown sugar (which already accommodates some molasses) to play up the bourbon’s taste. Final, mustard, herbs and spices add savory notes to spherical out the glaze and make you need to eat it by the spoonful. (You’ll be able to exchange the bourbon with apple cider or a fruit juice, equivalent to orange or pineapple, in the event you want a nonalcoholic glaze.)
Whereas there are a couple of totally different strategies with regards to heating and glazing a ham, my go-to is to put it in a reasonable oven, uncovered, and brush it with the glaze each 15 to twenty minutes till the meat is warmed by way of and has a shiny, lacquer-like coating.
The important thing to success is including water to the underside of the pan to maintain the sugars within the glaze from burning (which helps with cleanup) and to forestall the ham from drying out (no person likes a dry ham). Earlier than you realize it, you’ll have a good looking centerpiece worthy of any dinner desk.
Bourbon-Molasses Glazed Ham
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for as much as 4 days.
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- 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1/4 cup packed mild or darkish brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
- Pinch fantastic salt
- One (4-pound) cooked ham
- 1/4 cup water, plus extra as wanted
Place a rack in the course of the oven and preheat to 350 levels.
In a small saucepan over medium-high warmth, mix the bourbon, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper and salt and convey to a boil. Prepare dinner, stirring frequently, till the sugar has dissolved and the glaze has thickened barely, about 2 minutes.
Utilizing a pointy paring knife, rating the ham by making crosshatch cuts everywhere in the floor about 1/2 inch deep and 1/2 inch aside, making a sq. or diamond sample. Place the ham lower aspect up in a baking pan, add the water to the underside of the pan and brush the ham throughout with a couple of quarter of the glaze.
Bake the ham, brushing with extra glaze each 15 to twenty minutes till all of it’s used up and including extra water to the pan if it will get dry, to forestall the glaze from burning, about 1 hour half-hour whole, or till the ham is properly browned and caramelized.
Take away the ham from the oven and let sit for 10 to fifteen minutes earlier than slicing and serving.
Per serving (4 ounces), primarily based on 16 with a boneless ham
Energy: 225; Whole Fats: 9 g; Saturated Fats: 3 g; Ldl cholesterol: 65 mg; Sodium: 1,614 mg; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 6 g; Protein: 25 g
This evaluation is an estimate primarily based on accessible elements and this preparation. It mustn’t substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s recommendation.
Recipe from employees author Aaron Hutcherson.
Examined by Aaron Hutcherson; e-mail inquiries to [email protected].
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