Smoked Honey Baked Ham Copycat

There is something special about a spiral ham with a sweet, crunchy glaze. This smoked honey baked ham copycat recipe is the perfect dish for any occasion. Sweetly spiced crackled edges make an ordinary ham something to celebrate. Try serving this amazing ham recipe for your Easter dinner.

Choosing a Spiral-Cut Ham

Buying a pre-sliced ham that has been cut in a spiral pattern around the center bone from the grocery store is convenient since it is so easy to carve. The bone will help protect the meat as well as add flavor. The trade-off is that a pre-sliced ham can easily dry out if not reheated correctly.

You can buy the shank end half (cut with leg portion) that has the classic long leg bone. The meat is leaner than the fattier meat from the butt end. The butt end half (cut from the top half of the ham) has a t-shaded bone which makes it harder to carve. The meat is richer and more tender. 

Try to buy a spiral-cut ham that doesn’t have a ton of water added. This is one case when you want to pay a little extra for a better product.  Whether you buy the shank or butt, you should plan on between 3/4 – 1 pound of ham per person. A half ham is usually about 7 or 8 pounds and will serve 8-12 people.

Steps to Making the Best Smoked Honey Baked Ham Copycat Recipe

There are a couple of tips for creating a wonderfully sweet crackled ham. Each step layers on the flavor and doesn’t take long.

• Remove the plastic, discard the glaze packet, and pat the ham dry. 
• Ease the slices of ham open so the honey butter smear can get deep into the meat. Be gentle so the ham stays intact, but tease open the slices all the way around the bone. The top third will not be sliced so you will just brush the smear on the outside.
• Generously brush the honey butter smear into all the nooks and crannies of the ham.
• Arrange the ham, cut the side down on a tray in a pan, and preheat the smoker or oven to 225°F. 
• Use turbinado sugar and a mixture of dried herbs and spices to generously sprinkle all over the ham as it slowly cooks. Pour 12 ounces of apple cider into the pan to prevent the sugar from burning and mix with the ham juices as the ham slowly cooks.
• Cook the ham low and slow for about 2 – 2-1/2 hours until the internal temperature reaches 128°F. (You may want to loosely tent the ham in foil for the last half of the cooking time to protect the meat from becoming dry.)
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Carefully remove the ham to the cutting board.
• In a small saucepan, combine 8 ounces of the ham juices with the remaining dry sugar mixture and bring to a rolling boil until it turns caramel brown and thickens about 3-5 minutes.
• Return the ham to the rack in the pan, arranged with on its side. Carefully drizzle the hot glaze all over the ham so it covers all the slices.
• Watch the ham carefully as it cooks in the hot oven so the glaze doesn’t burn. You may need to rotate the pan halfway through the broiling to keep it from getting too dark.
• Remove the ham from the oven and let rest for 12-15 minutes.
• After the ham has rested, use a sharp knife to cut around the exposed bone. This will make it easier to remove and arrange the ham slices on a serving platter.

What is Turbinado Sugar

Turbinado sugar, or raw sugar, is tan in color with larger crystals. It comes from the first pressing of sugar cane and has a flavor that is more complex than just sweet. It has a hint of molasses. The larger granules helps protect the sugar from burning as it cooks and forms a nice sweet crust on the edges.

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