Easter Special: Bourbon Glazed Ham
Growing up, Easter dinner meant a big family dinner, kids dressed in their new Easter outfits, baskets in hand, hunting for hidden Easter eggs. I don’t know about you, but we still hide eggs and the kids are grown. Some traditions never die and besides, how much fun is it when you find a hidden chocolate egg behind grandpa’s picture weeks later. You know we’ve all been there.
This Easter, our kitchen will be bustling with feast preparations. Our family, like many others, have a potluck dinner. Everyone brings a side dish and/or dessert and the host prepares the main event. In our house that means a ham and a turkey.
While everyone would agree that a fine Southern ham kissed with a bourbon glaze should be on every table, some of us can’t get our hands on said ham, so we like to get one from one of our local shops. Most hams are fully (or partially) cooked these days but be sure to follow any instructions provided.
Bourbon Glazed Ham
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of bourbon**, plus 2oz
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp mustard – Dijon is preferred, grainy is even better
Optional: 2 tbsp of orange juice OR apple juice OR apple cider
Method:
Pour 2 oz of bourbon in a whiskey glass. This is for you to sip while making dinner, because you deserve it. Planning a big holiday dinner can be stressful. We are here for you.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. It’s not necessary to heat this.
We use a bone in ham and cut the skin on the diagonal, so the glaze can penetrate the ham.
Brush half the glaze on the ham. Loosely cover with foil.
Always follow the recommendations provided for baking. Our bone in ham is generally about 8-10 lbs, so it’ll bake at 325F for 20min/lb or 3 hrs 20min. There is no shame in needing a calculator for this.
Brush half the remaining glaze on the ham about half way through the baking time. Add the rest of the glaze with about 20 min left, removing the foil. If the bottom of the pan gets dry, add about ¼ cup of water. Do this as needed. The internal temp of the ham should read about 145F when it’ done.
Once out of the oven, let the ham rest for about 15 minutes, then slice. Go ahead, sneak a piece. I won’t tell.
**When choosing bourbon for the glaze, we like to step it up a notch but avoid a high proof since you are not boiling the glaze. We like using Makers.
Cheers and Happy Easter!
Maureen Linehan