American City Ham

Ingredients:

• 1 American city ham in brine, shank*
• 1/4 cup hot mustard
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 30 ml. bourbon (pour into a spray bottle)
• 2 tbsp. crushed gingerbread cookies

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.
2. Remove the ham from its packaging and rinse thoroughly. Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan. Using a small paring knife or a clean retractable knife with the blade extended just slightly, make slits in a clockwise spiral from the bottom of the ham upwards (if using a paring knife, be careful not to cut deeper than the skin and the first few layers of fat). After each cut, rotate the ham so the cuts are no more than 2 inches apart. Once you've made parallel cuts across the entire piece, switch the knife to your other hand and repeat the process in a counterclockwise spiral. The goal is to create a grid-like pattern across the entire surface of the ham (don't worry if your pattern isn't perfect).
3. Cover the ham with foil, insert a thermometer and roast for 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature in the deepest part of the meat reaches 135°F (55°C).
4. Remove the ham from the oven and use tongs to separate the skin squares and the fat that comes with it.
5. Preheat oven to 175°C.
6. Pat the ham dry with paper towels, then brush mustard onto it with a pastry brush (or use a new paint brush). Sprinkle with brown sugar, pressing it loosely until the ham is completely coated. Lightly drizzle this layer with bourbon, then loosely press as many crumbled gingersnaps onto it as possible.
7. Insert a meat thermometer into the meat (do not insert it into the same hole) and return the ham, uncovered, to the oven. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C), about 1 hour.
8. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes and then slice.
   
   
   *Note: American city ham is any brined ham packaged in a plastic bag, refrigerated, and labeled "ready to cook," "partially cooked," or "ready to eat." Good city hams are also labeled "in their own juices."