Cherry-Spiced & Maple-Glazed Ham

Ingredients

Cherry-Spiced Maple Glaze

1 cup cherry preserves
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup water
28 g honey whiskey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 dashes cinnamon
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground cloves
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and fresh-ground peppercorn

Smoked Ham

1 large bone-in cured, spiral cut ham
canola oil
cherry juice
fresh-ground peppercorn
Cherry-Spiced Maple Glaze (above)
Fresh herbs, fruits and berries to garnish

Preparation

1. Pour all glaze ingredients into a small heavy bottom pot. Place over medium heat and bring all ingredients just to a gentle simmer.
2. Remove from heat and stir consistently for 2-3 minutes.
3. Puree in a food processor until consistency is similar to a syrup. To thin add water. Set aside.
4. 30 minutes prior to grilling, fill the chimney starter with charcoal and ignite. When coals glow red, dump the coals into the centre of the grill.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ham by scoring it’s exterior surface in a cross-hatch fashion. Drizzle with oil and liberally season with fresh ground peppercorn.
6. Gently place the ham atop the grill grates and smoke for two hours, brushing every 30 minutes with a 50/50 mixture of oil and cherry juice.
7. In the third hour, slightly open air dampers to increase the temperature. Begin intermittently brushing layer upon caramelized layer of the Cherry-Spiced Maple Glaze over the ham.
8. Remove from the grill when internal temperature reaches 55°C in thickest part of the ham. Rest under a tin foil tent for 5 minutes per pound,
   HOT TIP – This allows the denatured ham to reabsorb its natural juices, which have been pushed to the exterior of the ham during the smoking process.
9. Brush one final time with the glaze and plate over a large dish garnished with fresh herbs, fruits and berries. Carve and serve.