Baked Ham With Honey Chipotle Glaze

Smoke and Nuoc Mam opened on May 15, 2025. Soft launch. Sixty invited guests — family, friends, food industry people, and a few neighbors from Alief who I insisted on inviting because they've been eating my brisket for twenty years and they deserve to see what it became.

I arrived at 4 PM. The dining room was set. The smoker was burning — James had started it at 6 AM, and the brisket had been going for ten hours. The smoke was visible from two blocks away. The door was propped open and the smell of oak and fish sauce and lemongrass drifted onto Westheimer like an invitation.

Mai arrived at 5 PM, driven by Linh. She walked in with her walker, looked around the dining room, looked at the menu on the wall, looked at the smoker in the window, and said, "This is good." Two words. From Mai, this is a Michelin star.

The food came out at 6 PM. The brisket was excellent — James had nailed the coriander rub, the fourteen-hour smoke, the rest period. The spring rolls were ninety percent Mai (Maria the prep cook has improved). The jollof rice was James at his best. The fusion sausage made people stop talking. Mr. Washington's wife said, "Bobby, is this the sausage from the Labor Day cookout?" I said, "Better." She said, "I didn't think that was possible." I said, "Neither did I."

Lily stood behind the bar at 8 PM and looked out at a full restaurant and I saw her face and it was the face of a woman who has just realized that the thing she dreamed is real and it's working and people are eating and the room is full and the smoker is burning and her name is on the sign outside. She caught my eye across the room. She mouthed: "Thank you." I mouthed back: "I love you." And then a waiter brought me a plate of brisket and I ate it and it was perfect and it was mine and it was hers and it was the continuation of everything.

That opening night, everything on the table had to carry weight — the brisket earned its fourteen hours, the sausage silenced Mr. Washington’s wife mid-sentence, and nothing left the kitchen that wasn’t deliberate. When I cook for people I love at home now, I keep reaching for this honey chipotle glazed ham, because it has the same spirit: smoke, sweetness, heat, and a finish that makes people set down their forks and just sit with it for a second. Mai would approve. Two words: This is good.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 2 hr 30 min | Total Time: 2 hr 45 min | Servings: 16

Ingredients

1 bone-in fully cooked ham (7 to 9 lbs)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Whole cloves (optional, for studding)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 325°F. Place ham flat-side down in a large roasting pan. Score the surface in a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep. If using cloves, press one into the center of each diamond.
Make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, brown sugar, adobo sauce, minced chipotle pepper, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 3–4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the glaze thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
First glaze and roast. Brush about one-third of the glaze over the surface of the ham. Tent loosely with foil and roast for 1 hour 45 minutes.
Glaze and finish uncovered. Remove foil. Brush another third of the glaze over the ham. Continue roasting uncovered for 30–45 minutes, brushing with remaining glaze every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140°F and the surface is deep, lacquered, and caramelized.
Rest before carving. Transfer ham to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and the glaze to set into the crust.
Serve. Slice and arrange on a platter. Spoon any pan drippings over the top for extra depth. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Baked Ham With Honey Chipotle Glaze — The Sweet Fire We Served the Night Everything Became Real