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Dolly’s Hickory-Grilled Ham

The nice thing about this ham is that we always had leftovers, which mean that Mama and Daddy would take us on a picnic with baskets filled with ham and biscuits.

Dolly Parton’s Hickory-Grilled Ham

Daddy always reserved the best pork shoulder from the slaughterhouse for our holidays, which always made us feel special.

Ingredients

1 6-lb. smoked ham, fully cooked with bone in 1 Tbsp. whole cloves
½ c. Dijon mustard 1 large fresh pineapple
½ c. brown sugar, firmly packed 4-5 tennis ball-sized hickory wood chunks

Preparation

1. Soak the hickory chunks in water for 1 to 24 hours before using.

2. Cut the ham bone loose from the meat but do not remove it. Combine the mustard, brown sugar, and a half-cup of water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Brush the mixture all over the ham.

3. Prepare a charcoal grill to low heat (250°F to 300°F) with the rack 8 inches above the coals. Drain the hickory chunks and place them on the coals around the edges of the grill.

4. Place the ham on the rack, close the cover, and grill for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning and brushing often with the mustard mixture.

5. Transfer the ham from the grill to a cutting board. Score the ham in a pattern of 1-inch diamonds, slicing about a quarter-inch to a half-inch into the meat. Insert a clove into the middle of each diamond.

6. Return the ham to the grill and cook until the center of the meat registers 140°F on an instant-read meat thermometer, about 30 minutes. Transfer the ham to a cutting board.

7. Meanwhile, cut the pineapple into 12 wedges: slice vertically though the leaves, keeping the leaves intact. Grill on a lightly-oiled rack, cut side down, until charred, about 2 minutes.

8. Remove the bone from the ham and slice. Serve with the grilled pineapple.

Oven Baking (if you don’t have access to a grill):
1. Use a fully-cooked spiral ham. Pre-heat oven at 375°. Put the ham in and reduce temperature to 325° and bake for 10 minutes before brushing on the glaze.

2. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (about 7–10 minutes per pound). Put pineapple wedges around the ham in the baking dish during the last 5-10 minutes.

Serves 10 to 23.

Nutritional Information:  Calories: 340; Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 145mg; Sodium: 3410mg; Total Carbohydrates: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugars: 22g; Protein: 39g.

Try more of Dolly’s favorite recipes, and don’t miss her inspiring story about her family’s Christmas traditions.

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