Active: 30 minutes; total: 3 Hour
10 Servings
Any pickled pepper will work in this recipe but I love hot Peppadew peppers for their fruity flavor and sweet-and-sour brine. Since the heat level of pickled peppers can vary wildly, you might want to add them gradually while making the glaze.
One 7-1/2 pound bone-in smoked ham
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
¾ cup lemon-lime marmalade (17 ounces; see Note)
¼ cup seeded, coarsely chopped pickled peppers, such as hot Peppadew, Italian cherry peppers or jalapenos
¼ cup grainy mustard
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons bourbon
2 Tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, remove the rind from the ham, leaving a layer of fat all around that is at least ¼ inch thick. Deeply score the fat in a crosshatch pattern at ½-inch intervals. Transfer the ham to a large roasting pan and scatter the lemon and onion slices around it. Add the chicken stock or broth to the roasting pan.
- In a food processor, combine the lemon-lime marmalade, pickled peppers, mustard, lemon juice and bourbon, and process into a coarse puree. Brush the top of the ham with 2 Tablespoons of the lemon-and-pickled-pepper glaze. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil. Brush the ham with a scant ½ cup of the glaze and bake for 1 hour. Brush with another scant ½ cup of the glaze and bake until the ham is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 155 degrees, about 30 minutes longer.
- Transfer the ham to a cutting board. Strain the pan juices into a large glass measuring cup and skim off the fat. Transfer the juices to a medium saucepan, and boil until reduced to 2-1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch slurry, and add it to the juices in the saucepan along with the remaining ½ cup of glaze. Simmer over moderately high heat, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Slice the ham and serve with the sauce.
- NOTE: Lemon-lime marmalade (we like Thursday Cottage brand) is available at supermarkets and specialty shops, or you can substitute lemon, orange or grapefruit marmalade.
- MAKE AHEAD: The Lemon-and-Pickled-Pepper Glaze can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.