The idea to cook ham on the BBQ instead of in the oven came to me when I was living in Sydney. Easter was around the corner with a forecast of 85 degrees and sunny - and I had no air conditioning in my apartment. No way was I going to have the oven running for an hour! Living in Australia teaches you that you can put almost anything on the BBQ (another shrimp on the barbie anyone?), so figured I've give it a go. And, as I am sure you have already concluded, it turned out great.
One thing to keep in mind when you are making this glaze is not to be deterred by the incredibly strong smell of whiskey. The smell is that strong because you are actually cooking off the alcohol - I promise you, your finished ham will not taste or smell like someone spilled their drink on top of it.
While this ham is ideal for large gatherings, it is also great to whip up on a lazy Sunday afternoon - leftover ham is amazingly versatile and delicious. Check out Country Living's Best Leftover Ham Recipes on ways to transform your extras if you are low on ideas. And with that, I will leave the cooking to you!
Barbecued Bourbon Ham
Ingredients
- 8-10 lb pre-cooked ham
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. whiskey
- 2 tbl apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbl whole-grain mustard
- 2 tsp pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Set your BBQ to low heat, you are aiming for around 300/350F. Since your ham is already cooked you don't have to worry about exact temperature.
- Step 2 Combine all ingredients except for the ham (sugar, whiskey, vinegar, mustard, pepper) in a small sauce pan and bring to medium-high heat, until it hits a soft, rolling boil.
- Step 3 Cook your glaze for around 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce turns from a liquid to a nice thick consistency.
- Step 4 Once your glaze is done, place your ham on aluminum foil (make sure you have enough to cover the entire ham) and trim and score the outside fat. If you have purchased a spiral ham, you likely can skip the scoring step.
- Step 5 Then, using a pastry brush, glaze your ham with your whiskey sauce and wrap up in foil. Add a few layers of foil to the portion of the ham that will sit on the grill to prevent a burnt layer.
- Step 6 Place your wrapped ham on the BBQ and leave for 45min with the lid closed.
- Step 7 Once your ham has been cooking for 45min, unwrap the aluminum foil from the the top and sides of the ham - no need to remove from the BBQ. Then glaze a second time, leaving the ham exposed. **Note you may need to reheat your glaze in order to do this as the sugar could harden**
- Step 8 Close the lid to your BBQ again, raise the heat to medium (about 450F) and cook for another 10-15min. Stay close to your BBQ and monitor for flare-ups, as the glaze may drip through the grates. You want a nice caramelized crust on the edge of the ham, not burnt edges.
- Step 9 Once the ham has a nice crust, remove and enjoy!
