SUBMITTED BY: Nancy Josland Dalsin
½ cup mild honey such as clover or orange blossom
1½ tablespoons Toasted Spice Rub (see Notes)
1 apple wood-smoked or honey-cured, boneless, fully cooked ham, about 4 pounds
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the honey and the spice mixture. With a sharp knife, make a series of cuts, ½ inch deep and ½ inch apart, the entire length of the ham. Rotate the ham 90 degrees and make a second series of cuts, the same depth and the same distance apart, across the width of the ham.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the ham on the pan.
Bake, basting every 15 minutes with the honey mixture, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150°F, 1 to 1¼ hours.
Remove the ham from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Carve the ham across the grain into slices of desired thickness. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with any remaining honey mixture.
Toasted Spice Rub —I like to use this spice mix on chicken, lamb, fish, and shrimp. It’s also delicious stirred into beans or a pot of rice and mixed into scrambled eggs. Don’t be put off the amount of chili powder. California chili powder is almost sweet, not hot. It is not a blend of chilies and other seasonings, like the powder you use in Texas-style chili. Instead, it is pure ground chilies.Cooking Notes: Toasting spices releases their aromatic oils, resulting in more complex flavors. Taste your chili powder, and if hot, use less than the recipe indicates.¼ cup fennel seeds1 tablespoon coriander seeds1 tablespoon black peppercorns1½ teaspoons red pepper flakes¼ cup California chili powder2 tablespoons finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt2 tablespoons ground cinnamonIn a small, heavy skillet, combine the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns over medium heat. Watching carefully, toss the seeds frequently so that they toast evenly. When the fennel seeds turn light brown, work quickly. Turn on the exhaust fan, add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool. (They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blender blades.)Pour the cooled spices into a blender and add the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon. Process until the spices are finely and evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and red pepper flakes, then pour the ground spices into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container away from light and heat for up to 4 months, or freeze for up to 1 year. Makes About 1 Cup
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