Ham Ingredients:
- 1 whole country ham (approximately 10 – 12 lbs., give or take)
- 10 bay leaves
- 1 sweet onion, quartered
- 3 tbsp. whole black peppercorns
- 3 c. cider vinegar
- 24 whole cloves
Fig Glaze Ingredients:
- 1½ c. fig preserves
- ¾ c. Dijon mustard
- ¾ c. light brown sugar
- 4 tbsp. bourbon
- ¼ tsp. cayenne (adjust up or down to taste)
- ¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
- Scrub: wash the ham under running water and scrub with a stiff brush.
- Soak: country ham is salt-cured and often dry-aged, so it needs to be soaked before cooking to leach out excess salt. Put the whole ham in a large stock pot, cooler, or other food-safe vessel. Cover with cold water and soak 24 hours, changing the water every 4 – 6 hours. (Note: Mamma starts hers at 9:00 am the day before she wants to serve it. She changes the water at 3:00 pm, 7:00 pm, and 11:00 pm. Right before she goes to bed. Then she switches it again first thing in the morning. Mamma does not sacrifice her beauty sleep, not even for country ham.)
- Simmer: Place the ham in a large stockpot or roasting pan. Cover with fresh water. Add bay leaves, onion quarters, peppercorns, and vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer (never a rolling boil, or the meat gets tough). Cook 20-25 minutes per pound (4-5 hours).
- Remove the ham from the pot and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Whisk together glaze ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
- Remove outer skin from ham leaving a thin layer of fat.
- Score the fat in a diamond pattern.
- Place a whole clove in the center of each scored diamond.
- Place ham on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Brush generously with glaze.
- Bake until fat is crisped, caramelized, and sticky, about 45 minutes to an hour, basting with glaze every 10 – 15 minutes.
- Let ham rest on cutting board for 30 minutes.
- Slice paper-thin across the grain and serve with Mamma’s biscuits and extra mustard or fig preserves.
Enjoy!