Sweet Tea-Brined Ham (with a Tangy Lemon Glaze!)
A festive and flavorful recipe for a ‘Sweet Tea-Brined Ham With Lemon Glaze,’ perfect as the centerpiece for a holiday meal. This dish features a fully-cooked, semi-boneless ham that is first brined for four hours in a homemade sweet tea mixture to enhance its juiciness and flavor. The ham is then slow-roasted and finished at a high temperature with a tangy, sweet glaze made from brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
Ingredients
- For the Brine and Ham:
- 1 gallon water
- 8 family-size black tea bags
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 4 cups ice, or as needed
- 1 (5- to 7-lb.) unseasoned, semi-boneless, fully cooked ham
- For the Lemon Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 5 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 5 large lemons)
- 1/3 cup grainy Dijon or Creole mustard
- 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the Brine: Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the dark brown sugar and salt, stirring until they are dissolved. Add the tea bags, remove from heat, and let steep for 1 hour.
- Remove the tea bags. Add the ice and stir to completely cool the brine.
- Place the ham in a large container or brining bag and pour in the cooled brine. Ensure the ham is fully submerged (add more ice if needed). Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Roast the Ham: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Drain the ham, discard the brine, and pat the ham dry with paper towels.
- Place the ham in a roasting pan, cover it tightly with foil, and roast for 12 to 15 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F.
- Make the Glaze: While the ham bakes, stir together the light brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, prepared mustard, dry mustard, and black pepper in a large bowl until smoothly combined.
- Glaze the Ham: Remove the ham from the oven and uncover it. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Spread half of the glaze over the ham. Return it to the oven and roast for 5 minutes, or until the glaze bubbles.
- Pour the rest of the glaze over the ham and continue roasting for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the glaze sizzles and begins to blister in spots.
- Let the ham rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Baste frequently with the pan juices as it rests. Serve warm, drizzling the slices with pan juices.
Notes
- This is a showstopper main course, perfect for holidays like Christmas or Easter.
- Brining the ham, even though it’s already cooked, is a key technique that adds significant moisture and flavor to the final dish.
- The ham must be fully submerged in the cooled brine for the 4-hour brining period.
- Letting the ham rest for 20-30 minutes before carving is crucial to ensure the meat remains juicy.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/best-sweet-tea-brined-ham/