Grilled Bourbon-Glazed Ham with Chunky Pineapple & Shishito Peppers and Grilled Garlicky Smoked Gouda Potato Gratin (recipe p. 107)
Although a popular main for festive occasions, ham doesn’t get the prestige that a roast turkey, beef or lamb does, yet it’s always a hit. For a more modern take, dress up this centrepiece main with a deliciously slick bourbon glaze and serve it alongside a savoury pineapple dish that will leave guests in awe, swearing never to return to the maraschino and clove–studded roasts of the past. Serve alongside a baked, roasted or grilled side dish, like our potato gratin, and you’ve got yourself a bona fide feast.
BOURBON-GLAZED HAM Smoked, cooked, bone-in ham roast, skin removed, 10 to 12 lbs (4.54 to 5.44 kg)
1/2 cups (375 mL) lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) bourbon
3 tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed
orange juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground
black pepper
CHUNKY PINEAPPLE & SHISHITOS
12 shishito peppers
1 tsp (5 mL) oil
1 cored pineapple
1 cup (250 mL) chopped cilantro 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped
sweet white onion
1 tbsp (15 mL) drained capers
1. Remove the top rack from your barbecue. Preheat grill to medium-low.
2. Prepare ham by scoring the fat in a cross-hatch diamond pattern, spacing cuts 1/2 inch (1 cm) apart, without slicing too deeply. Set in a large foil tray (with no holes) that will fit in your barbecue.
3. When grill is preheated, turn off one side and set the ham in its tray over the turned-off side. Cook ham over indirect heat with lid closed, maintaining the barbecue temperature around 325°F (163°C). You will need to maintain a low temperature and allow 15 to 20 minutes per pound for cooking time. Adjust the grill that is lit until heat is around 300 to 325°F (149 to 163°C). Check the temperature periodically and allow yourself 30 minutes at the end of cooking for glazing. For a 10-lb (4.54-kg) roast, start the glazing at around the 2-hour mark, and for a 12-lb (5.44-kg) roast, begin glazing at around the 2 1/2-hour mark.
4. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by placing brown sugar, bourbon, orange juice, vinegar and pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until the mixture becomes syrupy and froths vigorously, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
5. To prepare chunky pineapple and shishitos, toss peppers with 1 tsp (5 mL) oil in a medium bowl until coated. While ham is cooking, oil grill that is set to low heat. Cut pineapple into rings. Add pineapple rings to grill. Grill peppers directly on grill if your grates are close together, or in a vegetable tray or over foil as needed, until slightly blistered, 3 to 5 minutes. Grill pineapple until grill marks form, 12 to 18 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Let cool. When cool enough to handle, chop pineapple and slice peppers. Toss in a serving bowl along with cilantro, onion and capers.
6. When ham is nearly cooked, glaze the exterior. Continue cooking, glazing one or two more times until ham reaches 130°F (54°C) on a meat thermometer. When done, remove from heat. Cover with foil and let stand for at least 45 minutes before carving.
7. When ready to carve, begin slicing downwards (perpendicular to the bone) until it reaches the bone. Continue slicing until you have enough slices to feed your crowd. (Leave any portion you don’t think you’ll use attached to the bone so you can store it—it’s less likely to dry out when stored on the bone.) Now take your knife and cut through the slices along the bone, releasing them from the bone. Remove to a platter and serve alongside the chunky pineapple and shishitos. Leftover ham will keep well, tightly wrapped, in the fridge up to
3 or 4 days.
Serves 10 to 12 with leftovers
WHAT TO SERVE
Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling VQA
LCBO 232033, $16.95
The honeyed, peachy fruit notes in the Riesling combine with the sweetness of the pineapple and the bourbon to create an excellent match.