Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cups rye whiskey or bourbon or other whiskey
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- One 12-14 pound cured smoked bone-in ham, skin removed if needed
Chef notes
This ham is a hit at every single dinner party and it couldn't be easier to make. Though the idea of making a large ham might be intimidating, if you know what you're looking for, it's really a piece of cake. Make sure you're buying the right part of the pig, you want a bone-in, smoked ham, not a country ham, which is essentially like American prosciutto.
Asfor the glaze, I often use a bottle of orange or apricot marmalade and mix it with some bourbon or rum. And I always serve it with a big pile of mini potato rolls for DIY sandwiches with dijon mustard and mayo. And maybe some cornichons on the side for a briny touch.
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk rye whiskey, honey, molasses, red pepper flakes, and black pepper together in a medium bowl.
2.Set ham on a rack in a large roasting pan and pour in 2 cups water. Score the fat layer in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 1/2-inch deep. Brush ham with rye whiskey mixture and roast, basting every 20 minutes with pan juices and tenting with foil if browning too quickly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of ham registers 135 degrees. This will take between 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3.Transfer ham to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with pan juices.
