Bourbon-Orange-Glazed Ham

Serves 24

To learn more, read:
How to Buy a Ham
by Kate Hays
from Fine Cooking
Issue 96
Last Edit Date: 5/16/2011 2:52:19 PM

Make this glazed ham the star of your crowd-friendly buffet. It's delicious warm or at room temperature and it makes great sandwiches, too. To give your guests that option, serve with biscuits (store-bought or homemade), horseradish cream spread, and orange-maple mustard.

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3/4 cups high-quality orange marmalade
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup bourbon or dark rum
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 smoked half-ham, preferably a bone-in butt half (8 to 9 lb.), trimmed of skin and excess fat

In a medium bowl, mix the marmalade, maple syrup, mustard, bourbon or rum, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Brush the ham all over with 1/2 cup of the glaze and wrap loosely in foil. Put it on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the ham registers 125°F, 17 to 19 minutes per pound, for a total of 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours. (The ham will continue to rise in temperature during the glazing and resting.) Remove the ham from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 425°F. Peel back the foil from the top and sides of the ham; brush the ham with 6 Tbs. of the glaze and return it to the oven. Bake, brushing the ham again after 5 and then 10 minutes, using 6 Tbs. more glaze each time, until the glaze is shiny and golden, about 20 minutes total (keep a close eye on the ham so that the glaze doesn't burn).

Remove the ham from the oven and tent loosely with foil. Let rest at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours before slicing.

Serving Suggestions

For a festive yet relaxed holiday meal, serve with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Broccoli with Spicy Gremolata, and your signature cheesecake for dessert.

Leftovers

Orange-maple mustard: Reserve 3 Tbs. of the marmalade mixture from the Bourbon-Orange-Glazed Ham recipe and mix with 1 cup of grainy mustard.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 230; Fat (g): 9; Fat Calories (kcal): 90; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 25; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 4; Carbohydrates (g): 10; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 940; Cholesterol (mg): 75; Fiber (g): 0;

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by cgj5177, 4/8/2012This is the best! took the advice of previous reviewers and reduced the glaze and lined the plan with foil for easy cleanup.

by tuckerman6, 4/3/2012I made two of these for a party of 35. Absolutely fabulous! People were standing around the platter hacking pieces off it was so delicious. Left overs made great sandwiches. I'm making it again for Easter.

by jsteuer4, 1/7/2012Best ham ever and I am not a big ham fan! Perfect for just eating or making sandwiches.

by butta211, 12/31/2011Everyone raved about this ham! Wow. Better than any storebought/honeybaked, I've ever had. While it didn't impart much flavor from the ingredients themselves, I was so impressed by how moist it was. As per suggestion, I boiled it down a bit for thickness and I think its the way to go. Really sticks to the ham better. Oh and one last suggestion. Put foil down on your baking sheet beforehand. The glaze basically stuck to it and formed a big pile of ash that I couldn't remove. Had to throw the cookie sheet away. Small price to pay though : ) Will make this my holiday ham in the future!

by lcbeal, 4/25/2011This ham is the best-tasting pork I've fixed in quite a while. Not a fan of pork (but in a family who loves it), I always approach ham recipes warily but WOW. It was my favorite of the Easter meal.

by Luke2008, 12/21/2009This is a great glaze that I tweaked a wee bit. I added 6-8 cloves and 2 tbsp orange peel. I found it a bit runny, so brought the glaze to a boil and reduced it by half. The flavours became more concentrated and it clung to the ham a bit better.

by Annevdw54, 12/6/2009I made this ham for a wedding with all the trimmings. I tripled everything.It was a hit.

by sewapel, 4/13/2009

by SusanCooks, 4/10/2009This is a fabulous recipe!