Anyone know how to make a really good, crispy sugary crust on a ham?

[Denninmi]

I never have been very successful at coming up with the kind of crisp, sugary, crusty coating on a ham that is found on some of the commercially made ones like Honeybaked Hams.

I would like to know how to get a really good sugary crust that actually will stay on the ham during the cooking and serving process. If it had some spices or flavorings other than just sugary, that would be good too.

What if I mixed brown sugar, a little butter, a little flour, and added a bit of black pepper, dried mustard, and a little hint of grond cloves, and put that on then put it under the broiler or even used a propane torch? Think that would do it?

I like the crust on the prepared ones, but I'm not going to pay $8 a lb for it, just can't afford that, I only work part time these days.

Help!

[grasswire]

1. found this on the Internet

HONEY-GLAZED BAKED HAM

Whole or half ham, ready to eat
1/8 c. prepared mustard
3 tbsp. honey
Whole cloves
3/4 c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 1 tablespoon flour in turkey size (19" x 23 1/2") oven bag for whole ham or in large size (14"x20") oven bag for half ham. Place bag in 12"x8" baking dish. Insert ham in bag, fat side up. Close bat with twist tie. Pierce bag 6 to 8 times on top. Bake 12 minutes per pound. Remove from oven 30 minutes before it is baked. Carefully slit bag down center and to sides to expose ham. Remove skin, if any, and score fat, diamond shaped, 1/4" deep. Brush entire top of ham with mustard. Insert clove in each diamond. Cover generously with brown sugar. Drizzle with honey. Return to moderate oven, 375 degrees, for final half hour.


Add finely chopped pecans to this recipe. It will be crunchy and perfect for the ham.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. A propane torch

Seriously. Much as one crusts a creme brulee.

[Warpy]

3. I was going to say that's a good idea

with a fan diffuser on the tip.

Oh, and leave the flour out. Brown sugar, butter and spices should do it.

Burnt flour is not nice.

[grasswire]

4. IIRC, the flour is meant to keep the bag from exploding

The oven bag box has that in the instructions, I think.

[Warpy]

5. Why use an oven bag at all?

Just bake the ham, remove it from the oven, paint on more glaze, and do your thing with the blowtorch to caramelize it and make it crunch.

[grasswire]

6. dunno

I would never have thought to use a bag on a ham. It ain't my recipe.

[Tesha]

7. score the ham then bake it...

let it cool a bit then pour over it a couple of shots of bourbon

make a paste of brown sugar, mustard and cloves
(I always use a little pineapple juice in it too as my family loves the roasted pineapple slices with it)

rub the paste on thickly and place back in the oven at a high temp until the crust starts to brown.



this was my Mom's recipe... but apparently Martha stole it...

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/bourbon-glazed-ham

[hippywife]

8. Mine's not terribly crisp.

I do the usual with prepared mustard, brown sugar, cloves, pineapple slices and cover with foil while it bakes. You could remove the foil towards the end and allow the heat to bake the crust a little longer. :shrug: