The ham is partially cooked, then spread with the glaze and basted with the bourbon and pan juices.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 (about 15 pounds) smoky ham (not a Smithfield country ham, but a brine-cured "city" ham), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
- 1/2 cup packed golden-brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce
- 1-1/2 cups bourbon
Preparation:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.If the ham has a rind, pull it away with your fingers. With a thin, sharp knife, slice away all but 1/4 inch of any fat on the upper surface. Score a diamond pattern about 1/8 inch deep into the upper surface of the ham. Set the ham, scored side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold it. Add 3 cups water to the pan. Set the pan in the oven and bake the ham for 1-1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mustard, brown sugar, honey, and Tabasco.
Pour off the water from the pan. Spread the mustard mixture evenly over the upper surface of the ham, using it all. Add the bourbon to the pan. Bake the ham, basting every 10 minutes with the bourbon and the accumulated pan juices, until the ham is richly browned and thoroughly heated through, another 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
Let the ham rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 12 servings with leftovers
Source: Pamela Morgan's Flavors: What's Next, What's Hot, What's Cooking from New York's Premier Caterer by by Pamela Morgan (Viking Penguin)
Reprinted with permission.
