Smoked Pit Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A supermarket bone-in ham gets a real barbecue-joint makeover: a smoky-sweet rub, three hours of low, gentle heat, and a sticky brown sugar–mustard glaze brushed on in layers until the edges caramelize. Works on a smoker or entirely in the oven, and feeds a crowd for a few dollars a plate.

Ingredients

• 8 lb fully cooked bone-in ham (shank or butt portion, not spiral-sliced if possible)
• 1 cup apple juice or unsweetened apple cider
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard (as rub binder)

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 3 cups apple, cherry, or hickory wood chips, soaked 30 minutes (grill/smoker method)
• 1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke, hickory (oven method)

Instructions

1. Pull the ham out of the refrigerator 60 to 90 minutes before cooking so it isn't ice cold at the center — this is the single biggest factor in keeping it juicy. Pat the surface completely dry with paper towels and trim the outer fat cap to about 1/4 inch thick, leaving it in place.
2. Using a sharp knife, score the fat cap in a 1-inch diamond crosshatch, cutting about 1/4 inch deep — just into the fat, not down into the meat. The cuts open up as the ham warms and catch the glaze.
3. Whisk all of the Smoky Pit Rub ingredients together in a small bowl, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar with your fingers. Smear the ham all over with the 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard (it's a binder — you won't taste it), then pack the rub over every surface, pressing it into the scored lines.
4. Set the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan or large disposable foil pan. Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the pan (if using the oven method, stir the liquid smoke into the juice). Tent loosely with foil.
5. SMOKER OR GRILL METHOD: Bring a smoker or a charcoal/gas grill set for indirect heat to a steady 250°F. Add the soaked wood chips (in a foil packet with holes poked in it, or a chip box, over the heat source). Set the pan of ham on the indirect side, close the lid, and smoke for 2 hours, adding chips once more at the 1-hour mark. OVEN METHOD: Heat the oven to 275°F and bake the covered pan on a lower-middle rack for 2 hours.
6. Meanwhile, make the glaze: combine the brown sugar, honey, Dijon, butter, vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just comes to a simmer, about 3 to 4 minutes, then cook 2 minutes more until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat; it thickens as it cools.
7. After 2 hours, remove the foil and check the temperature in the thickest part of the meat away from the bone. You're aiming for roughly 110°F to 120°F at this point. Brush the ham generously with about a third of the glaze, spooning some pan juices over first if the surface looks dry.
8. Continue cooking uncovered, brushing on another layer of glaze every 15 minutes, for 45 to 60 minutes more, until the internal temperature reads 135°F to 140°F and the glaze is dark, bubbling, and tacky. Total cook time runs about 15 to 18 minutes per pound — a 10-pound ham may need up to 30 minutes longer.
9. If you want more color, run the ham under a broiler 6 inches from the element for 2 to 3 minutes, watching constantly — the sugar goes from caramelized to burnt fast.
10. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the pan juices into a small saucepan, skim the fat, whisk in any remaining glaze, and simmer 3 minutes to make a thin serving sauce.
11. Carve: for a shank portion, cut down along the bone to free the large muscle, then slice it across the grain about 1/4 inch thick. For a butt portion, slice down to the bone in parallel cuts, then run the knife along the bone to release the slices. Shingle onto a platter and spoon the warm pan sauce over the top.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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