Ham Cheese Pull Apart Food

THE BEST HAM GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Let the ham sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and trim off any skin. If your ham is not a spiral-cut ham, use a sharp paring knife to score through the fat in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat.
• Place the ham, flat side down, on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1 cup water into the pan. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 130 degrees F, about 2 hours 30 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound-reduce the time to 10 minutes per pound for a spiral-cut ham).
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the brown sugar, maple syrup, soy sauce, orange zest and juice, Dijon, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, onion powder and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the glaze has thickened and reduced by half (you should have 1 cup glaze), 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside until the ham is ready.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Brush half of the glaze over the ham. If the water in the bottom of the pan has evaporated, add 1 cup water. Return the ham to the oven and roast for 30 minutes, brushing with the remaining glaze every 10 minutes (two more times) before returning to the oven.
• Let the ham cool for 15 minutes before thinly slicing.

HAM BONE SOUP

Steps:

• The day before you want to make the soup. put the beans in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by several inches. Soak overnight (or at least 8 hours) in the refrigerator.
• Drain the beans and rinse. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and leeks and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook and stir until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and thyme and stir to coat the vegetables. Let the tomato paste toast for 1 minute, stirring, then add the bay leaves and 12 cups of water. Add the beans and nestle the ham bone in. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add the escarole, another 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt. Return the soup to a simmer and cook until thickened and the beans and escarole are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves and ham bone from the soup and let cool until you can handle the bone. Shred any useable meat left on the bone and stir back into the soup. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

SPICY HONEY-GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 350 degrees F. Trim off any skin from the ham, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of fat. Score the fat with a sharp knife in a 1-inch crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat. Place the ham flat-side down in a roasting pan and add the chicken broth to the pan. Cover with foil and bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the honey, brown sugar, mustards, vinegar, hot sauce, thyme and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Remove 3/4 cup of the glaze to a separate bowl and set aside for serving. Remove the ham from the oven, discard the foil and brush with about one-quarter of the remaining glaze. Continue baking, brushing with the glaze and the pan juices every 30 minutes, until the ham is a deep reddish-brown and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees F, 1 to 1 1/2 more hours. (Add 1/2 cup water to the pan if the juices dry out.)
• Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with the reserved glaze.

ROASTED FRESH HAM WITH CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• One day before roasting: In a plastic container large enough to hold the ham, stir the water with the salt and brown sugar until dissolved. Add the spices. Score ham in a diamond pattern through the skin and fat, taking care not to cut into the meat. Add ham to brine, weight it with a plate to keep it submerged, and refrigerate for at least 4 but no more than 8 hours. Drain, rinse, pat the ham dry, and refrigerate.
• One hour before roasting, remove the ham from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. For the rub: Pulse the olive oil, mustard, parsley, sage, garlic, red pepper, salt, and black pepper in a food processor to make a paste. Rub it all over ham. In a large roasting pan, toss the onion wedges with 1 cup of the apple cider, and set the ham on top. Roast the ham for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature 325 degrees F, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, about 4 hours. After the first hour, loosely wrap aluminum foil around the bone to keep it from burning.
• Meanwhile, for the glaze: Boil, then simmer, the remaining apple cider in a saucepan, skimming as needed, until syrupy and reduced to about 2 cups, about 1 1/2 hours.
• During the last 1 1/2 hours of cooking the ham, brush it with the glaze every 30 minutes. Transfer the cooked ham to an ovenproof platter and let it rest in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes. Loosely cover the onions in a bowl, and put them in the oven as well. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, skim off any excess fat, and bring to a boil. Make a paste with the flour and butter and whisk a bit at a time into the juices. Boil until thick. Carve the ham and serve with the onions and sauce.
• Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

HAM SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk the mayonnaise and mustard together in a large bowl. Pulse the ham and pickles in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. Add the ham mixture, pickle juice, celery, onions and celery leaves to the mayonnaise mixture, and stir. Taste; if the salad seems dry (it should be spreadable), add more mayonnaise and/or pickling liquid. Serve as is or on sandwiches.