A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season to all our Chi Wulff compadres near and far this morning. We trust Santa was generous to you and yours this year and that you’re getting outside with family and friends today (or soon).
But there’s more good food to enjoy as well.
Bowing to Holiday food tradition, after our time-honored Christmas Eve Tamales last night, today we’re reaching for one of our family’s favorite cuisines in the form of this Cajun Sugarcane Bourbon Mustard Ham.
Ham is of course a holiday standby, though the genuine cajun-inspired glaze, powered by the Steen’s pure cane syrup (make it so, Number One), authentic Creole Mustard (use Zatarain’s) and a splash of bourbon will take your ham experience to a whole new level.
Some additional ham greatness – this little project doesn’t take a great deal of effort and you’ll still look like a freakin’ genius in the kitchen. Your ham sandwiches (if there are any leftovers) will be inspired and your Monday red beans and rice will reach a level of goodness never attained before.
Time to get your ham on, my friends.
1 7-9 lb. fully cooked city ham
1/2 cup Steen’s pure cane syrup (just find some…)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup good bourbon
1/4 cup creole mustard
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of ground allspice
Dash of ground cinnamon
Slowly warm that ham. Preheat the oven to 250. Place the ham in a a roasting bag or wrap in foil, set on a rack in rimmed baking sheet. Cook for roughly 2.5 hours or until internal temp. is 120 near the center.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. About halfway through the baking time, combine the remainder of the glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat to cool.
Glaze the ham three times. When the ham reaches 120, remove from the bag or unwrap and bump the oven to 400. Now slather with 1/3 of the glaze, bake 10 minutes; reglaze again and bake another 10.
Pull the ham, reglaze again, tent with foil and let rest at least 15 minutes.
Slice and stand back, this one will go fast. And try to be modest as the praise rolls in…
Enjoy.
