Horseradish-Glazed Ham

August 2024. Memphis summer, 65 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 40 years of marriage.

I smoked a pork shoulder this week — the king, the classic, fourteen hours over hickory. The bark was dark and the smoke ring deep and the meat fell apart in my hands with the familiar magic of something that has been loved patiently. I served it on white bread with coleslaw and vinegar sauce, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I teach everyone who stands next to my smoker, because the serving is the tradition and the tradition is the point.

The week ended on the porch with Rosetta, the evening settling over Orange Mound, the smoker cooling in the backyard. The fire was banked but not out — it's never out, just resting between cooks, holding the heat the way I hold the tradition: carefully, permanently, with the understanding that what Uncle Clyde gave me is not mine to keep but mine to pass, and the passing is the purpose.

The pork shoulder was the centerpiece of the week, but it got me thinking about all the ways pork shows up on our table — the roasts, the ribs, and the glazed hams Rosetta puts together when the smoker takes a rest and the oven gets its turn. This Horseradish-Glazed Ham is hers as much as mine: the tang of the glaze cuts through the richness the same way a good vinegar sauce cuts through pulled pork, and the patience it takes to let it build in the oven is the same patience the smoker teaches you every single time.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 bone-in fully cooked ham (7–8 lbs)
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup prepared horseradish, drained
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Whole cloves (optional, for scoring)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 325°F. Place a rack in a large roasting pan and set aside.
Score the ham. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep. If desired, press a whole clove into the center of each diamond.
Make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the Dijon mustard, horseradish, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is smooth, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Apply first glaze coat. Place the ham cut-side down on the rack in the roasting pan. Brush generously with about one-third of the glaze.
Roast low and slow. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F.
Glaze and finish. Remove the foil and brush the ham with another generous layer of glaze. Return to the oven uncovered and roast an additional 30–45 minutes, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes, until the exterior is caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
Rest and serve. Remove the ham from the oven and let rest 15 minutes before carving. Warm any remaining glaze and serve alongside for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Horseradish-Glazed Ham — The Fire Never Goes Out