Make glaze of bourbon, mustard for holiday ham
No doubt about it, every holiday has its star. At Thanksgiving its turkey. Easter, it’s those colorful eggs. But at Christmas, it’s ham. Whether served countrystyle, baked or grilled, ham is the centerpiece of many Christmas tables.
Raise your hand if you’re in the majority of people who believe Christmas just isn’t Christmas without ham and the delicious dishes that can be made with its leftovers?
Many times, though, we tend to go overboard with all the glazes —from maple to honey and brown sugar, Dijon mustard, even one that takes pralines to a new level of deliciousness.
One of the challenges, though, is that many people have come to expect a ham sweet enough to add to the dessert table. And while a thick brown-sugar crust is a fan favorite — thank you, Honey Baked Hams — the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Silly) method, is equally as addictive.
Instead of jumping into the sugar bowl, a nice balance of sweet and savory with the sweetness of dark brown sugar and the opposite flavor profile of grainy and ground mustards makes a nice change of pace for your upcoming Christmas feast.
The key to success of any ham is basting, a practice that keeps the meat moist as you brush those amazing drippings over the entire surface of the ham. Make sure you carefully remove the dish from the oven to baste. If you do it with the oven door open, you’ll lose valuable heat and the ham will have to cook a bit longer, potentially resulting in a dry ham.
Mustard-Bourbon Glazed Ham
1 (5- to 8-pound) half ham, butt
portion, sliced or not
1/2 cup whole-grain mustard 3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups ham drippings and/or
ham stock
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch finely grated nutmeg 1 pinch ground cloves
Cook the ham: Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Score the ham in a diamond pattern to ¼ inch deep (if not sliced). Place the ham on a rack in a large roasting pan.
In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, nutmeg and cloves.
Using your hands, smear the mustard mixture all over the surface of the ham. Using your hands again, pack the brown sugar all over the exterior of the ham, pressing to adhere.
Using a spray bottle, lightly mist the brown sugar with the bourbon just to barely moisten (you may not need it all).
Bake the ham, uncovered and basting occasionally, for 20 minutes per pound.
Make the glaze: Strain the ham drippings, skim as much fat as you wish, and add enough ham stock to make 1 1/2 cups (see note). Transfer to a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the brown sugar, mustard, nutmeg and cloves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Serve the glaze at the table over the ham.
Note: If the drippings are scarce, use Better Than Bouillon ham base.