Cherry-Bourbon Glazed Holiday Ham

Illustration generated by AI. The recipe is hand-curated and checked by MealPrep's allergen, diet and nutrition rules.

American · 220 min · Pork · gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb bone-in fully cooked half ham (shank or butt)
• 1/4 cup cherry preserves
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup, divided light brown sugar
• 1/4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Method (tap to check — screen stays awake)

1. Pull the ham from the fridge 30 minutes before it goes in the oven. Heat the oven to 325F and set a rack in the lower third.
2. Score the fat in a 1-inch diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep. Stir together 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the smoked paprika, cloves, cinnamon, and 1 tsp black pepper, and press this rub all over the scored surface.
3. Set the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan, pour 1 cup water into the pan, tent tightly with foil, and bake about 15 minutes per pound — about 2 1/4 hours for a 9-lb ham — until it reads 120-125F deep in the center (probe away from the bone).
4. While it bakes, make the glaze: simmer the cherry preserves, bourbon, Dijon, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, cider vinegar, and dried cherries in a small saucepan 8-10 minutes until syrupy enough to coat a spoon. Take it off the heat.
5. Remove the foil, brush the ham generously with a third of the glaze, and return it to the oven. Brush again every 10 minutes for the final 30 minutes until the surface is deeply lacquered and the ham reads 140F near (not touching) the bone.
6. Rest the ham, loosely tented, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir a few spoonfuls of pan juices into the remaining glaze and warm it briefly — that is your cherry-bourbon sauce for the table.
7. Carve the ham off the bone in thick slices and serve with the warm sauce.

Nutrition figures are estimates. Verify allergens on every ingredient label before cooking.

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