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Alton Brown's City Ham recipe will be one of your new favorite recipes for ham. He uses gingersnaps, mustard, and brown sugar to create one fabulous crust!
Alton Brown is one of my favorite Food Network chefs and I learned how to cook watching him when I first started way back in 2011. Every now and then I like to feature a recipe of his on my site. His ham recipe is hands down the best ham recipe I’ve ever made and very easy to make. The episode this ham recipe is on is Good Eats episode called Ham I Am.
In the episode, he says you can use a country ham or a city-style ham. He said he had got the recipe from his grandma and he was shocked that her recipe only had 4 ingredients. I don’t know about you Alton Brown, but I LOVE recipes with very little ingredients. Who would have thought gingersnaps would make a good crust for ham?
Now if you asked me what the difference was between all the different types of hams out there I couldn’t tell you but if you read the tips section I did mention what the difference was between a country ham and city ham. Preparing large size roasts like this isn’t one of my specialties on this blog, but I like cooking smaller types of meats.
If you like more ham recipes try Ham and Cheddar Scones, Hot Ham and Cheese Party Rolls, Leftover Sausage and Hashbrown Casserole, and
Jump to:
- What do I need to make City Ham?
- How to make City Ham?
- Tips for City Ham
- Recipe FAQs
- Alton Brown’s City Ham
What do I need to make City Ham?
1 city style (brined) ham, hock end* or 1 country style ham
¼ cup brown mustard
2 cups dark brown sugar
1-ounce bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle)
2 cups crushed ginger snap cookies
How to make City Ham?
Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
Remove ham from bag, rinse and drain thoroughly. Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Using a small paring knife or clean utility knife set to the smallest blade setting, score the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you cut. (If you're using a paring knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat). Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more than 2-inches across. Once you've made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling counterclockwise. The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham. (Don't worry too much about precision here.)
Tent the ham with heavy-duty foil, insert a thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130 degrees F.
Remove and use tongs to pull away from the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dab dry with paper towels, then brush on a liberal coat of mustard, using either a basting brush or a clean paintbrush (clean as in never-touched paint). Sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated. Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon, then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you can.
Insert the thermometer (don't use the old hole) and return to the oven (uncovered). Cook until interior temperature reaches 140 degrees F, approximately 1 hour.
Let the roast rest for ½ hour before carving.
*Cook's note: A city ham is basically any brined ham that's packed in a plastic bag, held in a refrigerated case and marked "ready to cook", "partially cooked" or "ready to serve". Better city hams are also labeled "ham in natural juices".
Tips for City Ham
Most basically, city hams are wet-cured, and country hams are dry-cured. Country hams are older, drier and saltier, while city hams have a milder, juicier consistency. If you've never had country ham, you might be surprised by its saltiness and flavor, and you may be unfamiliar with how it is best cooked and served. From ehow.com
Recipe FAQs
How long do I cook a ham per pound?
18 to 20 minutes per pound. The ham is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees.
What to serve with ham?
Serve your ham with a side of cheesy hashbrown potatoes and vegetables of your choice.
If you tried this Alton Brown’s City Ham any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
Alton Brown’s City Ham
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 4 reviews
- Author: Jenna
- Total Time: 6 hr 15 min
- Yield: 10 to 15 1x
Description
Alton Brown's City Ham recipe will be one of your new favorite recipes for ham. He uses gingersnaps, mustard, and brown sugar to create one fabulous crust!
Ingredients
Scale
1 city style (brined) ham, hock end* or 1 country style ham
¼ cup brown mustard
2 cups dark brown sugar
1-ounce bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle)
2 cups crushed ginger snap cookies
Instructions
Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
Remove ham from bag, rinse and drain thoroughly. Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Using a small paring knife or clean utility knife set to the smallest blade setting, score the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you cut. (If you're using a paring knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat). Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more than 2-inches across. Once you've made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling counterclockwise. The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham. (Don't worry too much about precision here.)
Tent the ham with heavy-duty foil, insert a thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130 degrees F.
Remove and use tongs to pull away from the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dab dry with paper towels, then brush on a liberal coat of mustard, using either a basting brush or a clean paintbrush (clean as in never-touched paint). Sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated. Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon, then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you can.
Insert the thermometer (don't use the old hole) and return to the oven (uncovered). Cook until interior temperature reaches 140 degrees F, approximately 1 hour.
Let the roast rest for ½ hour before carving.
*Cook's note: A city ham is basically any brined ham that's packed in a plastic bag, held in a refrigerated case and marked "ready to cook", "partially cooked" or "ready to serve". Better city hams are also labeled "ham in natural juices".
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 6 hr
- Category: Medium
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
*If you make this recipe please comment and rate the recipe below to let everyone know how it is, or tag me on Instagram! If you want to upload a photo you can do that on Pinterest. Just find the post for it.
