Glazed Ham on the Grill

Try this old-fashioned glazed ham on the grill for your holiday feast this year.

Really, nowadays, there is practically no reason to cook a ham. There is nothing wrong with a good, ready-to-eat cooked ham, bone-in, uncut. And just let me tell you this particular old-fashioned ham glaze will make anything taste delicious. Just add it to your cooked ham when you are warming it up. INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 shallots, minced
• Pinch of allspice
• 4 cups dark stout
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup dried cherries
• ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 lb. spiral-sliced ham in natural juices

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Whisk cornstarch into chicken stock in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter and throw in shallots. Cook shallots for a few minutes, then add a pinch of allspice and cook about 30 seconds more. Add the stout, brown sugar and dried cherries. Simmer sauce until it thickens, about 15 minutes. Then whisk the cornstarch mixture again and add it gradually to the stout mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring often.
3. Remove from heat once thick, dark and smoky-looking, and add balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Puree. It should have a fruity blackish bitter-at-the-end flavor.
4. Brush glaze between the spiral slices, reserving any extra for application during cooking. Place the ham flat side down in an aluminum pan (nestle two pans for added reinforcement).
5. Preheat your grill to 325°F for indirect cooking, and add wood for smoking, if you desire.
6. Place aluminum pan with ham on the grill, lower the lid and cook for 12-13 minutes per pound or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140-150°F. Brush on a fresh coat of glaze every 20 minutes or so. If the outside surface of the ham is browning too much for your liking, place a foil tent over it.
7. After the ham reaches the desired temperature, remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes under a foil tent.