Categories:Viewed: 35 - Published at: 8 years ago

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for the pan
  • Half of a semi-boneless, ready-to-eat ham (5 to 6 pounds), preferably shank end (see below)
  • 1 cup honey (preferably tupelo, orange blossom, or sweet clover)
  • 1/2 cup sorghum, cane syrup, or molasses
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Brush a large roasting pan with some of the oil.
  • To prepare the ham, remove the skin and fat.
  • Using a sharp knife make 1/4-inch-deep cuts in the meat in a diamond pattern.
  • Place the ham in the prepared roasting pan.
  • Meanwhile, to make the glaze, heat the honey, sorghum, bourbon, orange juice, and mustard in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and combined.
  • Pour over the prepared ham the warm bourbon glaze.
  • Transfer to the oven and cook, basting every 30 minutes or so with the glaze on the bottom of the pan, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 140F.
  • If the ham starts to overbrown, loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.
  • Remove from the oven to a rack.
  • Tent the ham loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
  • Transfer to a cutting board, carve, and serve.
  • A whole ham is essentially the entire back leg of a hog, weighs about 20 pounds, and at 1/2 to 3/4 pound per serving, will feed a small army.
  • Unless you need to feed a small army, buy a half ham instead.
  • Half hams come as butt end and shank end.
  • The butt end comes from the upper thigh and has a rounded end, whereas the shank end comes from the lower portion of the leg and has a pointed or tapered end.
  • Look for bone-in hams over boneless hams for more flavor (and a bone for the soup pot).
  • Hams are sometimes labeled fully cooked, ready-to-eat, or heat-and serve.
  • These may be eaten as is, but are more often heated to an internal temperature of 140F for fuller flavor.