From "The Infinite Feast: How to Host the Ones You Love—Recipes from the Big Easy . . . and Beyond" by Brian Theis, 2020 Click here for more on my new cookbook!
New Orleans meets Texas in this sassy spicy Easter ham!
Brown Sugar Creole Mustard Jalapeño Ham
Makes 12 servings
1 fully cooked butt portion bone-in half ham, 8 to 9 lbs
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup Creole or spicy coarse-grained mustard
2 tablespoons finely minced pickled jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup honey
1 cup orange juice
Unwrap him, er, ham, bring to room temperature for one hour.
For glaze, in small pot, combine sugar, mustard, jalapeño, honey, orange juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook till reduced by half, 30 minutes. Glaze should look shiny and slightly thickened.
Heat oven to 325°F. Place rack in roasting pan, set ham on rack, fat side up. Fill pan with 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours 15 minutes for a 9-pound ham. 10 minutes less for an 8-pound.
Thirty minutes before ham finishes baking, uncover and increase oven temperature to 400°F. During this last 30 minutes, brush ham generously with glaze every 10 minutes. At the end of this process ham should be gloriously caramelized and have an internal temperature of at least 130F.
Remove from oven and let rest uncovered at least 15 minutes before carving. Internal temperature should rise about 10 degrees as it rests.
Carved and plated, with my delicious Insalata Russa! (Fancy name for potato salad. Also from The Infinite Feast!)
I had a lot of fun presenting this ham recipe a few days before Easter on WUPL New Orleans TV (from my NYC kitchen!) interviewed by venerable WWL anchor Eric Paulsen, March 31, 2021. Click here to go to the video!
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