Alton Brown’s City Ham – Recipe Diaries (2024)

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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.

Alton Brown’s City Ham – Recipe Diaries (1)

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.

Alton Brown’s City Ham – Recipe Diaries (2)

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

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Alton Brown’s City Ham – Recipe Diaries (3)

Alton Brown’s City Ham

★★★★★5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Jenna
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 6 hr
  • Total Time: 6 hr 15 min
  • Yield: 10 to 15 1x
Print Recipe

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!

Scale

Ingredients

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".

  • Category: Medium
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: city ham

*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.

Alton Brown’s City Ham – Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a country ham and a city ham? ›

The difference between city and country ham comes down to how they're cured. Country hams are cured by dry-brining for several months, while city hams are wet brined for a much shorter amount of time and kept fresh thanks to the advent of refrigeration.

How to cook a ham Alton Brown? ›

Directions
  1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
  2. Remove ham from bag, rinse and drain thoroughly. ...
  3. 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.

What recipe is Alton Brown known for? ›

Brown's famous baby back ribs recipe starts with his 8 3 1 + 1 rub, which denotes eight parts brown sugar, three parts kosher salt, and one part chili powder. The "plus one" is a separate spice blend that's added to the original 8 3 1, which includes Southern-favorite Old Bay.

Who makes the best ham in the world? ›

Joselito | Declared the best ham in the world | Iberian acorn-fed ham. SINCE 1868 With more than 150 years of experience, Joselito holds the secrets of an ancestral tradition. Six generations of the same family have always worked with the same objective in mind: to produce the best ham in the world.

What is considered the best ham in the world? ›

The story of Jamón Ibérico ham is steeped in mystery and romance. The ancient oak pastures of Spain, the noble black Ibérico pig, the mountain air which caresses each ham as it magically is transformed into one of the world's most exquisite foods - all play a part in this uniquely Spanish phenomenon.

Why do you soak a ham before cooking? ›

If necessary, soak the gammon (ham) in cold water to reduce saltiness, according to butcher or packet instructions (most do not need this anymore as curing methods have changed). Weigh to calculate the cooking time. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

Do you rinse a precooked ham before cooking? ›

Whether you are cooking a bone in or boneless ham, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Start by removing the packaging from the ham (and bone guard if you're cooking a bone in ham), and you can rinse the ham before cooking if desired.

Do you glaze a ham before cooking? ›

The glaze should not be applied until the final hour to 30 minutes, in order to avoid burning the sugars. What you're going to do with the glaze ingredients is just combine most of them into a paste, and then apply it to the ham. After that, the heat in your oven will take care of everything.

Has Alton Brown ever worked in a restaurant? ›

While he has formal culinary school training and some work experience in the restaurant world, neither provided his launch pad. Even now, as he's a household name thanks to shows like "Good Eats," he could probably create a restaurant empire if he wanted to, but it's seems unlikely that he'll take that route.

Where is Alton Brown from originally? ›

Alton Crawford Brown Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 30, 1962. His parents, who were originally from north Georgia, moved the family back to the state when Brown was seven. After high school, Brown attended LaGrange College in LaGrange and majored in business.

What state is Alton Brown from? ›

Alton Brown was born on 30 July 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Good Eats (1999), School Daze (1988) and Cooking Thin (2001).

How does Martha Stewart bake a ham? ›

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap ham completely with parchment-lined foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Transfer ham to oven and bake 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap ham; discard parchment and foil.

Why boil ham before baking? ›

Depending on how the ham was cured, it will most probably be necessary to soak the ham for 24 hours before baking it. This step isn't necessary when boiling a ham as the boiling process automatically removes any excess salt, but it is a foolish errand to bake a salt cured ham without soaking..

Why put cloves in ham? ›

By studding the ham with beautifully scented Whole Cloves you create a wonderful Christmasy aroma and flavour that permeates the ham gently through the cooking process. It also looks very effective once the ham is cooked!

What makes it country ham? ›

Production. Country hams are salt-cured (with or without nitrites) for one to three months. They are usually hardwood smoked (usually hickory and red oak), but some types of country ham, such as the "salt-and-pepper ham" of North Carolina, are not smoked.

What is the difference between Waffle House country ham and city ham? ›

The texture of the hams differs significantly. Country hams are denser, drier, and more intensely flavored. City hams are softer, plump, and have a sweeter, but less intense flavor.

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