Baked Ham With Bourbon-Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients 8-1/2 pound fully cooked, bone-in, shank-portion smoked ham About 40 whole cloves 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup bourbon or beef stock 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper Nutritional Information 1 serving: Calories 627 Saturated Fat 15g Total Fat 41g Protein 52g Carbohydrate 9g Fiber 0g Sodium 151mg Cholesterol 2894mg

This glorious ham is bound to be the hit of the holidays, both with you (it's that simple) and your guests (it's that delicious!). Makes 16 servings Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time: 2 hours, 30 minutes to 3 hours Standing time: 15 minutes Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove skin, if any, from ham, and trim fat. Score remaining fat and stud with cloves (see "How to Score and Decorate Your Ham"). Step 2: Place ham, cut-side-down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, lined with several layers of aluminum foil. Insert a meat thermometer in center of ham, making sure it does not touch bone (or test later with an instant-read thermometer). Step 3: Bake ham, uncovered, until thermometer registers 130°F to 135°F, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, combine sugar, bourbon or stock, and pepper in a small bowl. Step 4: Remove ham from oven and brush one-third of the sugar mixture over the ham. Increase oven temperature to 375°F and return ham to oven. Every 10 minutes, apply one-third of the glaze, until all glaze has been used. If ham browns too fast, tent lightly with foil. Step 5: Ham is done when the internal temperature reaches 140°F. Let stand at least 15 minutes before carving. Find out more about buying, decorating, glazing, and carving a ham. PHOTO: © Lou Wallach