Refugee Orphan Christmas (and Ham!)

Not sure how it became a tradition, but for the last three years, I have hosted a Christmas Day dinner. Usually the attendees are some friends who, like me, either chose not to, or could not, make it home for the holidays. And a giant ham. I think the hams have only gotten bigger every year. This year was no different.

The recipe for the ham comes from Alton Brown ("Ham I Am -- City Ham"). Also watch the YouTube video, which is very helpful.

I also tried documenting the process in pictures:

Mustard (wet) layer:


Brown sugar (dry) layer:


Now there's supposed to be another "wet" layer of bourbon (I used Gentleman Jack) applied via spritz bottle as well as another "dry" layer of pulverized ginger cookies, but by now, my hands had become too sticky to handle my camera. The final product:


Pro-Tip: Use a meat thermometer for the roast itself (all roast recipes, really) and an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heated correctly.

It was delicious. But now still so much ham left over.

The rest of the Christmas Dinner menu:
- Potato Salad
- Candied Yams
- Green Beans
- Corn Bread
- Winter Salad
- Pavlova

Each of these, there are many recipes for online. I generally just wing it as I've made these so many times before.

Set aside 6-12 hours to prepare everything, add friends and lots of wine. Enjoy.