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Makes. 8 servings

Preparation time. 10 minutes

Cooking time. 10 to 12 minutes per pound at 225°F if you use the foil wrap

Serve with. Grilled asparagus and grilled sweet potato steak fries

Wine. A slightly sweet rosé is traditional, and with good reason. A hint of sweetness pairs with the glaze an balances the saltiness. Among my other faves are rieslings in the 1 or 2% sweetness range from the Finger Lakes, Pacific Northwest, or German and Austrian Kabinetts.

Ingredients

8 pound bone-in precooked wet cured ham

1 cup Chris Lilly’s Spicy Apricot Glaze

1 cup chicken broth

Method

1) You can do this step well in advance. Make 1 cup of Chris Lilly’s Spicy Apricot Glaze. Make the sauce by putting the chicken broth in a pan and whisk in 4 tablespoons of the glaze over medium heat until it is dissolved. Put the remaining glaze and the baste in the fridge.

2) Prepare your grill for 2-zone cooking and preheat it to about 225°F on the indirect side. If the skin has not been removed, remove it, and trim off almost all the fat leaving no more than a thin layer. If it came with a prepackaged glaze, throw it out. If there is a glaze already on the meat, rinse it off. Chris’ glaze is better. If it is spiral-sliced, let some water get into the sliced areas to help reduce moisture loss.

3) Place the meat on the indirect side of the grill, add a handful or two of wood for smoking as described in my articles on the Best Setup for a Charcoal Grill, the Best Setup for a Gas Grill, theBest Setup for a Bullet Smoker, and the Best Setup for an Offset Smoker. You do not need much smoke since the meat has been smoked once already. Close the lid, and smoke for about 1 hour.

4) Tear off about 5′ of aluminum foil, if you have double strength, that’s better. Fold it in half to make it about 2 1/2′ in length. Take the ham off the grill, place the flat, cut end on the foil making sure you don’t puncture the foil, pour 1/2 cup of the water over the meat and seal the meat and water in the foil making it look like a giant candy kiss. Crimp the seams tight. We don’t want any steam escaping and water leaking. This technique helps it cook faster by generating a little steam, which penetrates faster than dry heat, and keeps the meat moist. Place the package back on the indirect side at about 225°F. If you have a leave-in meat thermometer, insert it now through the foil into the fat end, so the tip is about 1″ away from the bone. Watch the oven temp and try to keep it around 225°F.

5) When the meat temp hits about 130°F, open the foil, paint on the glaze, leave the foil open to catch drips, close the grill, and roast for about 10 minutes until the glaze gets thick. While the glaze is setting, get the sauce out and warm it on the hot side of the grill or the side burner or indoors.

6) After about 10 minutes, open the grill, dip your basting brush in the pools of glaze on the foil and paint the meat again. Add more glaze if you wish. Now remove the foil, and pour any drippings into the sauce pan. Leave the lid open, remove the thermometer and move the ham over to the hot side. Stand right there and watch so the glaze does not burn. Don’t walk away even to get a beer. Let the glaze sizzle, but not blacken. You are just trying to caramelize the sugars and develop more flavor. After about 3 or 4 minutes, roll it a bit and keep rolling it until all sides have sizzled except the bare meat side. Leave it bare. By now the temp should have risen to 140°F. Go ahead and check if you want, but trust me, it’s there.

7) Taste the sauce. If you want it sweeter, add more glaze, but it shouldn’t need more sugar. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat, and move the ham to a cutting board, bare side down. Carve it by slicing in from the sides towards the bone in the center of the top. Then slice down along the bone to release the slices. Serve, and spoon a little sauce over the meat.

All text and photos are Copyright (c) 2013 By Meathead, and all rights are reserved. For more of Meathead’s writing, photos, recipes, and barbecue tips & technique, please visit his website AmazingRibs.com and subscribe to his email newsletter,Smoke Signals.