Bourbon Baked Ham

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350º. Brush a large roasting pan with some of the oil.

Step 2: To prepare the ham, remove the skin and fat. Using a sharp knife make 1/4-inch deep cuts in the meat in a diamond pattern. Place the ham in the prepared roasting pan. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, heat the honey, sorghum, bourbon, orange juice and mustard in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and combined.

Step 3: Pour over the prepared ham the warmed bourbon glaze. Transfer to the oven and cook, basting every 30 minutes or so with the glaze on the bottom of the pan, for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 140º. If the ham starts to over brown, loosely tent with foil to prevent burning.

Step 4: Remove from the oven to a rack. Tent loosely with foil and let it rest 20-30 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Transfer to a cutting board, carve and serve.

Step 5: HAM BASICS: A whole ham is essentially the entire back leg of a hog, weighs about 20 pounds, and at 1/2 to 3/4 pound per serving will feed a small army. Unless you need to feed a small army, buy a half ham instead. Half hams come as butt end and shank end. The butt end comes from the upper thigh and has a rounded end, whereas the shank end comes from the lower portion of the leg and has a pointed or tapered end. Look for bone-in hams over boneless hams for more flavor (and a bone for the soup pot). Hams are sometimes labeled "fully cooked", "ready to eat", or "heat-and-serve". These may be eaten as is, but are more often heated to an internal temperature of 140º for fuller flavor.