Bourbon Glazed Baked Ham

Step 1

Prepare ham: Remove ham from packaging and pat it dry with paper towels and bring to room temperature at least 2 hours before baking.

Step 2

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with foil. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and remove the upper racks.

Step 3

Place and score ham: Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern in the fat , about ¼-½ inch deep or as deep as the fat is. Place the ham in the prepared roasting pan, fat side up.

Step 4

Place cloves in ham: Place the cloves in the center of the diamonds all around the ham. You can also place the cloves in the intersection points of the score, up to you.

Step 5

Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, orange zest and juice, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Bring to a low simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 6

Glaze the ham: Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze generously over the ham and in between the scored lines, but only use about a third of it.

Step 7

Bake and glaze ham: Transfer the roasting pan in the oven. Bake for 2 hours or about 20 minutes per pound, brushing the ham with remaining glaze every 20 minutes. The ham is ready when the internal temperature of the ham registers at 145°F.

Step 8

Finish glazing: Take the ham out of the oven and baste it again with remaining glaze. Place the ham under the broiler for a few minutes to get some nice browning on top, if not browned enough.

Step 9

Finish and serve: Take the ham out of the oven again and baste it with remaining juices in the roasting pan. Cover it with aluminum foil and let the ham rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.