Date: 08-29-2009
Nancy's City Ham
1 city style (brined) ham, hock end (a city ham is basically any brined ham that is
packed in a plastic bag, held in a refrigerated case and marked "ready to cook",
"partially cooked" or "ready to serve". Better city hams are also labeled "ham in
natural juices". I buy a shank ham, not spiral sliced.
¼ cup brown mustard
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 oz bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle)
2 cups crushed ginger snap cookies
Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
Remove ham from bag, rinse and drain thoroughly. Place ham, cut side down, in a
roasting pan (disposable pan is best to you can just throw it away after roasting).
Using a small paring knife or clean utility knife set to the smallest blade setting, score
the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you cut. (If you are using a paring
knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat). Rotate the
ham after each cut to that the scores are no more than 2-inches across. Once you
have made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling
counter clockwise. The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham. (Don't
worry too much about precision here.)
Tent the ham with heavy-duty foil, insert a thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours
or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130 degrees F.
Remove and use tongs to pull away the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that
come off with them.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dab dry with paper towels, then brush a liberal coat of mustard, using a basting brush.
Sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated. Spritz this
layer lightly with bourbon, and then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as
you can. (This takes about 15 minutes.)
Insert the thermometer (don't use the old hole) and return to the oven (uncovered).
Cook until interior temperature reaches 140 degrees F, approximately 1 hour.
Let the roast rest for ½ hour before carving.