Carla Hall’s Spiced Cider–Glazed Ham
This holiday-worthy ham from Carla Hall glistens with a bourbon and brown sugar glaze as it fills the kitchen with a comforting aroma.
Ingredients
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1 (7- to 8-pound) spiral-cut bone-in ham (preferably Berkshire)
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1 cup apple cider
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1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter
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2 tablespoons (1 ounce) bourbon
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2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
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1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
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1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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6 whole cloves
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1 cinnamon stick
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Small apples, for garnish (optional)
Direction
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ham, cut side down, in a 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
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Bring apple cider, brown sugar, butter, bourbon, mustard, vinegar, peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon stick to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 25 minutes.
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Brush cider glaze evenly over ham, allowing mixture to drip between slices. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil; bake in preheated oven until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of ham registers 95°F, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
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Uncover pan. Baste ham with drippings in bottom of pan. Continue baking, uncovered, basting every 15 minutes, until ham is glazed and beginning to brown and a meat thermometer registers 140°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer ham to a platter; let rest 10 minutes.
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Strain drippings from bottom of baking pan into a small saucepan; discard solids. Skim off the majority of fat using a spoon; discard. Bring drippings to a boil over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour drippings evenly over ham; serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with small apples, if desired.
