My Mom had a signature ham that everyone just loved. It was sweet and moist and tender and we all loved when she made it for holidays. Seems we had it with turkey at Thanksgiving and with Prime Rib at Christmas and we always looked forward to it. I always remember her opening a bottle of Coke or Pepsi and pouring it all over that ham. It was her secret and we never told.
Brown Sugar and Cola Glazed Ham
1 10-12 pound bone-in, fully cooked ham
1 extra large oven bag (for 10 to 25 lbs)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 (16 ounce) bottle of Coke or Pepsi
Trim any excess skin and/or fat from the ham. Using a sharp knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern. Place the ham (on its side – not face down) in the large oven bag and put it in a large roasting pan. Mix the brown sugar and mustard in a bowl and rub all over the ham. Place orange wedges in the bottom of the bag around the ham. Pour the coke into the bag all around the bottom of the ham.
Gather the bag up so that the bag isn’t touching the ham. You want an air pocket all around the ham. You want a very loose fit. Then close the bag with a tie. It should look like a nearly deflated baloon with some air still inside. Using a small, sharp knife, make three tiny slits in the top of the bag for ventilation (don’t skip this step or the bag will burst wide open and the ham won’t be able to self-baste).
Move your oven rack just low enough that the bag won’t touch the upper elements in your oven then bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until ham is nicely browned and caramelized. Remove ham from oven and rest, inside the bag, for 30 minutes before serving.