Brown Sugar Mustard-Glazed Smoked Ham

Name: Brown Sugar Mustard-Glazed Smoked Ham
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 360 min
Yield: 10-14
Ingredients: Ham; 2.2 to 4.5 kgs bone-in pre-cooked ham; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves; 2 teaspoons sweet paprika or smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 to 2 tablespoons organic olive oil; Honey mustard, for brushing on outside of ham; Glaze; 1 cup pineapple juice; 1 cup orange juice; ½ cup honey; ¼ cup honey mustard; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; Pinch ground cardamom; 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

When I was growing up, my mother’s favourite meal to make for company was baked ham. We would roast it in the oven for hours, basting it with brown sugar and studding the top with pineapple rings and whole cloves. The house would fill with the aroma and we couldn’t wait for dinner!

I wanted to recreate that memory, but put my own creative spin on it. Instead of roasting ham in the oven, I cooked it in the smoker with a mustard/brown sugar glaze. A little like a honey spiral cut ham you can buy, but oh so much better!

The best part is you don’t have to buy an expensive piece of meat to feed a crowd. I spent less than a dollar per pound on a pre-cooked ham and made a meal that I would gladly serve to even my most critical friends. Full of incredible flavour, moist and tender, this was by far the best ham I have ever made and I know you will love it, too.

Ingredients

Ham

2.2 to 4.5 kgs bone-in pre-cooked ham
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika or smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons organic olive oil
Honey mustard, for brushing on outside of ham

Glaze

1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
½ cup honey
¼ cup honey mustard
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground cardamom
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

Preparation

TIP – You can line the bottom of your smoker with a layer of heavy-duty aluminium foil to make cleanup easy (poke a hole in the centre if you are using The Big Easy® Smoker Roaster & Grill by Char-Broil®). This protects the surface of your cooker from the burned sugar glaze and makes your clean up quick and easy.

For the Ham

Remove ham from the refrigerator, pat dry with paper towels and set on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl combine the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Whisk until you have a smooth paste; add more oil if needed.
Rub exterior of the ham with the paste. Leave ham at room temperature for 1 hour.

For the Glaze

In a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, orange juice, honey, mustard, cloves ginger and cardamom. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until mixture is warmed through and blended. Reduce heat to low.

To Cook the Ham

Preheat smoker to 115°C. If you are using The Big Easy® Smoker Roaster & Grill by Char-Broil®, add wood chips to the smoke box and preheat it on temperature level 15 for 20 minutes, and then reduce to Level 4 or 5, which holds the cooker at 115°C to 120°C. (NOTE: If the weather is warm and sunny, start on 4. If the weather is cold, start on 5 and move up if needed.)
Insert the thermometer probe deep into the meat, making sure it is not touching the bone.
Place ham on rack (or in the basket of The Big Easy® Smoker Roaster & Grill by Char-Broil®) and brush with the honey mustard.
Place the ham in the smoker and cook for 1 hour without lifting the lid.
Open the smoker, baste ham with a little of the glaze, close the lid and smoke for about 4 to 6 hours, basting lightly with glaze about every 45 minutes. I drizzled a few tablespoons over the top every time I remembered.
Refill the wood chips as needed. Your timing will depend on the equipment you are using, the ambient outdoor temperature, and effectiveness of your heat source.
When the internal temperature reaches 50°C to 55°C, combine about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the remaining glaze with the brown sugar to make a paste about the thickness of honey. Whisk until smooth. If you do not have any glaze left, just use pineapple juice instead. Brush over top of ham and it will drip down the sides, covering most of the surface.
Close up the smoker and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 65°C, creating a sweet crust on the outside of the ham.
Remove from the smoker and let sit for at least 30 minutes before removing from the basket and carving.
When the smoker has cooled enough, remove the foil from the bottom and discard. If using the Big Easy, use the self-cleaning feature.

Notes

Using this technique transforms and ordinary grocery store ham into something your family will be talking about for months!

You can line the bottom of your smoker with a layer of heavy-duty aluminium foil to make cleanup easy (poke a hole in the centre if you are using Char-Broil’s Big Easy®). This protects the surface of your cooker from the burnt sugar glaze and makes your clean up quick and easy.