Bourbon Maple Ham Recipe

Preheat

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position to allow space for glazing and a roasting pan with a rim.

Remove ham from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. If the ham has a thick layer of skin, trim to leave about 1/4 inch of fat. Place ham flat-side down in a large roasting pan fitted with a rack.

Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a 1/2-inch diamond pattern across the surface, cutting through fat but not into the meat. If using cloves, stud the intersections of every other diamond with a clove.

In a medium saucepan, combine maple syrup, bourbon, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, black pepper, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Allow to simmer for 6–8 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly. Do not boil vigorously to avoid burning the maple.

Taste carefully (the bourbon will have some alcohol; heat reduces but does not remove all alcohol). If you want a thicker, glossy glaze, whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the simmering glaze. Continue to cook 1–2 minutes until the glaze thickens slightly. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Tent the ham loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. Heat the fully cooked ham until an internal temperature of 120–130°F (49–54°C) is reached (for a fully cooked ham you are reheating, cook to 120–130°F; if using a fresh, partially cooked ham follow package instructions). As a guideline, plan about 10–12 minutes per pound for a bone-in ham; for a 6 lb ham this will be ~60–75 minutes.

Every 15–20 minutes during roasting, remove the foil and brush a generous layer of the bourbon-maple glaze over the ham, returning foil afterward to prevent over-browning. Reserve about 1/4 cup of glaze for serving.

During the last 10–15 minutes of cooking, remove the foil permanently to allow the glaze to caramelize. If the glaze begins to darken too quickly, tent the ham again loosely with foil and finish cooking. The final surface should be glossy and caramelized.

Remove ham from oven when the internal temperature at the thickest part (not touching bone) registers 135–140°F (57–60°C) for a warm, slightly more cooked finish or 120–130°F if you prefer minimal additional cooking. Let rest, tented loosely with foil, for 15–20 minutes; the internal temp will rise a few degrees while resting.

Transfer ham to a cutting board. Spoon any pan juices into the reserved glaze, whisk to combine, and spoon warm glaze over the ham just before slicing.

Slice ham across the grain into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Arrange on a platter and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if using. Serve remaining glaze on the side.