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5 from 1 vote

Roasted Fresh Ham with Bourbon, Citrus, and Maple Glaze

Rubbing your ham with a flavorful dry brine 12-24 hours before roasting will help to ensure it stays moist and tasty. The glaze of orange juice, bourbon, and maple syrup is delicious and easy to make: use dark rum or rye whiskey if you don’t have bourbon.
Cold leftovers are tasty "as is"; they can also be diced up and scrambled with eggs and veggies.
Servings: 0 serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • *one pastured boneless fresh ham about 4 pounds
  • *2 tablespoons salt I like to use coarse sea salt
  • *1 navel orange remove the zest with a microplane (rasp grater and set aside, then slice the orange into 8 sections)
  • *2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves plus additional sprigs of fresh thyme for the roasting pan
  • *generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • *¼ cup orange juice preferably freshly squeezed
  • *1/4 cup bourbon
  • *1/4 cup maple syrup
  • *1-2 large shallots or 1 onion peeled and roughly chopped

Instructions

  • 1. 12-24 hours before you are going to roast the ham, combine the salt with the orange zest, thyme leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes. Rub all over the ham, then place in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
  • 2. When you are ready to roast the ham, remove it from the refrigerator and pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, bourbon, and maple syrup.
  • 3. Using a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a crosshatch pattern, cutting down just through skin to the flesh underneath. Place ham in a roasting pan skin side up and pour the juice mixture over the ham. Scatter the orange slices and the shallot or onion pieces around the ham and place the roasting pan in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.
  • 4. Remove the ham from the oven and baste with the pan juices. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees F. Continue to baste the ham every 15 minutes or so and cook for another 45 minutes-55 minutes, until the very center of the ham reaches an internal temperature of 145-160 degrees, depending on your personal taste. (If you find the bottom of the pan looking very dry, you can add a little water or chicken/beef stock to moisten it, if you like.)
  • 5. When ham is done, remove it from roasting pan, cover it loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Keep in mind that it will continue to cook a bit while resting so be sure not to overcook in the oven.
  • 6. Carve ham into thick slices and serve with the pan juices spooned over.