Bourbon Baked Ham, Perfect for Easter Sunday Celebrations!

Being from the South, I can't remember an Easter Sunday without ham. My mom made the best ham; she'd bake it for hours and it would always be so delicious. Sometimes, she'd use pineapple and cherries to garnish the outside for very special occasions. That was when you knew you'd better be on your best behavior! My mother rarely used recipes and it is such a shame I didn't get this one from her before she passed away. Here's my version of my mom's Sunday ham.... with a little bourbon to put my own stamp on the original. Happy Easter and many blessings to you and yours!

BOURBON BAKED HAM

1 fully cooked bone-in ham about 10 pounds for a crowd

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup bourbon

2 tablespoons ground mustard

1/2 cup pineapple or apple juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)

dash of cayenne or Tabasco sauce

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Whisk the brown sugar, bourbon, ground cloves, mustard, cayenne, and pineapple juice together and let it sit. Next, prepare the ham.

I usually cook my ham in tin foil on a baking sheet like my mom but you can use a baking pan and a rack if you prefer. Put the ham, fat side up, onto a large piece of tin foil, large enough to make a tent over it-- meaning you close it up but don't let the foil touch the ham when you close it for baking... like a tent.

You don't have to do this next step, but it makes for a nice presentation. Use a small knife to cut a diamond pattern into the top layer of the fat. Just cut on the diagonal one way, then cut another diagonal going the other way to make the diamond shapes. Put a whole clove into each diamond. Or you could decorate the outside with pineapple like my mom did.

Next, brush half of the the brown sugar mixture over the ham. Close and bake for an hour.

Open and brush on the remaining brown sugar. Add a 1/2 cup water, pineapple juice, or bourbon to the bottom of the pan. (if you use bourbon, make sure you are not near an open flame when you add it because the fumes can ignite!!) Close it up and bake for another hour or until the temperature reaches 140 degrees. Let the ham stand for at least 15 minutes before carving or it will fall apart.

Want more Easter ideas? Martie's ideas for fabulous and affordable Easter celebrations include: 

Make a deviled egg bar with lots of toppings for lots of options!Make a Deviled Egg Bar

How to Make Speckled Eggs

Make a Peeps cake

Easter Egg Hunt for the Kids (indoors in case of rain!

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Make a DIY Taco Bar: Slow Roasted Chipotle Pork Recipe

One of my favorite ways to entertain is to set up a DIY station or interactive bar. One of my favorites is a DIY Taco Bar. You can dress it down or make it upscale- that all depends on your budget and your crowd.  My DIY taco bar with Slow Roasted Chipotle Pork or Tequila Lime Tuna for the filling is soooo good! Add our Pineapple Tomato Salsa for the perfect fresh topping. For the taco bar, set up a big basket of chips. Use two kinds if you can find them or get some from your favorite restaurant. Then add salsa, queso dip, guacamole, pico de gallo, sliced jalapenos, lettuce, and cheeses for the condiments. I like to warm the tortillas in a damp kitchen towel in the microwave. Or put them into the oven; wrap in foil with a damp paper towel inside to steam them slightly. If you can find corn tortillas or get them from a favorite restaurant, use those! I really prefer the taste and texture of the homemade corn tortillas.

Slow-Roasted Chipotle Pork

 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 ½  tablespoons chipotle powder  **

1 pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt) about 3-1/2 -4 pounds

2 dozen small corn tortillas***

2 limes, cut into wedges

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, mix together kosher salt and chipotle powder and rub in into the pork, being sure to cover the entire surface of the meat with the mixture.  Put the pork in heavy covered cooker, Dutch oven, or roasting pan and place the covered roaster in the oven, and turn the heat to 275 degrees.  Cook until the port falls apart when you press it with the back of a fork—3-1/2 to 4 hours.  Remove it from the oven and let it rest covered for 15 minutes.  

Heat the tortillas on a medium-hot griddle, turning them frequently, until they are warmed through and soft (or do them in the microwave).  Wrap them in a towel and place in a basket.  Transfer the pork to a large serving platter and use tongs or two forks to shred into chunks.  Add the lime wedges to the platter, place the cilantro in a small serving bowl and serve immediately, with the warm tortillas on the side.

To fill the tortillas, double them up so they don’t tear apart; place one on top of another on a plate, spoon some of the pork on top, squeeze a little lime juice over the pork, sprinkle some cilantro on top and fold in half.

 ** McCormick brand chipotle powder is what I use.  If you can’t find the powder, look for the whole dried chilies and grind them.  If you can’t find that, use the canned chipotles in adobo sauce and puree them in a blender.

 *** Get fresh, homemade tortillas at a favorite restaurant! Cheaper and better!

GET THE RECIPES FOR THIS PARTY

PINEAPPLE TOMATO SALSA WITH TEQUILA LIME TUNA

CLASSIC AND POMEGRANATE MARGARITAS