This recipe used to be featured as part of an article on Spiral Sliced Ham on the main website, but I removed it because I was unable to get it to work to my satisfaction. The idea was you'd smoke the ham in the WSM, then apply the glaze. That just didn't work very well. The edges of the slices shrank, making them uneven and difficult to apply the sugar to, and you need a big, honkin' flame thrower to really carmelize the sugar properly.
But if you have a flame thrower and you want to try your hand at applying a Honeybaked-like crackling finish to an unheated, spiral sliced ham (which is what they do in the Honeybaked Ham stores), here's the recipe.
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This glaze is based on a recipe that used to be posted on the Top Secret Recipes Web site and was repeated on The BBQ Forum many years ago. It's supposed to mimic the taste of spiral-sliced hams sold in specialty stores.
Sugar & Spice Glaze
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/16 tsp paprika
dash of ground ginger
dash of ground allspice
Mix ingredients thoroughly. Makes enough glaze for a half ham.
Pour mixture into a shaker.
To apply the glaze, you'll need a handheld propane blow torch with a flame spreader attachment. The flame spreader allows you to heat a larger area of the ham's surface, which is essential to the process. Without the spreader, the pencil-like flame of most torches makes the process extremely difficult and frustrating.
The flame spreader fits onto the end of the torch and is available for just a few dollars at most hardware stores. A propane torch kit with fuel, torch, spreader, and igniter costs about $20.
Brush the area to be glazed with real maple syrup. It doesn't have to be fancy Grade A syrup; in fact, Grade B is less expensive and tastes better, in my opinion.
Next, fire-up the torch and heat a small area of the maple syrup. As the syrup starts to bubble, gently sprinkle the sugar mixture onto the surface, directly into the flame. The sugar will melt immediately and begin to caramelize and bubble. Repeat this process until the surface is covered with a thin layer of crispy glaze, then go back over the ham several more times, building up the glaze to the desired thickness.
This may take some time to complete, so be patient. Avoid the temptation to cover the ham with sugar first and then try to melt it with the torch. Sprinkling the sugar directly into the flame seems to work best.
When you're finished, if there are small areas where some unmelted granulated sugar remains, hit those spots with the torch or moisten with a touch of maple syrup.
The sweet, crunchy glaze tastes great and is very similar to those expensive specialty store hams.
But if you have a flame thrower and you want to try your hand at applying a Honeybaked-like crackling finish to an unheated, spiral sliced ham (which is what they do in the Honeybaked Ham stores), here's the recipe.
***
This glaze is based on a recipe that used to be posted on the Top Secret Recipes Web site and was repeated on The BBQ Forum many years ago. It's supposed to mimic the taste of spiral-sliced hams sold in specialty stores.
Sugar & Spice Glaze
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/16 tsp paprika
dash of ground ginger
dash of ground allspice
Mix ingredients thoroughly. Makes enough glaze for a half ham.
Pour mixture into a shaker.
To apply the glaze, you'll need a handheld propane blow torch with a flame spreader attachment. The flame spreader allows you to heat a larger area of the ham's surface, which is essential to the process. Without the spreader, the pencil-like flame of most torches makes the process extremely difficult and frustrating.
The flame spreader fits onto the end of the torch and is available for just a few dollars at most hardware stores. A propane torch kit with fuel, torch, spreader, and igniter costs about $20.
Brush the area to be glazed with real maple syrup. It doesn't have to be fancy Grade A syrup; in fact, Grade B is less expensive and tastes better, in my opinion.
Next, fire-up the torch and heat a small area of the maple syrup. As the syrup starts to bubble, gently sprinkle the sugar mixture onto the surface, directly into the flame. The sugar will melt immediately and begin to caramelize and bubble. Repeat this process until the surface is covered with a thin layer of crispy glaze, then go back over the ham several more times, building up the glaze to the desired thickness.
This may take some time to complete, so be patient. Avoid the temptation to cover the ham with sugar first and then try to melt it with the torch. Sprinkling the sugar directly into the flame seems to work best.
When you're finished, if there are small areas where some unmelted granulated sugar remains, hit those spots with the torch or moisten with a touch of maple syrup.
The sweet, crunchy glaze tastes great and is very similar to those expensive specialty store hams.
