MY DADDY'S LIMERICK HAM

Leftover Limerick Ham on Sour Dough Bread.

A traditional dish in Ireland, it is usually made with a whole ham but our family uses just the butt portion unless we use a whole semi-boneless ham. This recipe has been handed down in our family for more than 30 years.The orange juice was my addition and I doubt you’d find it used in Ireland but it is a nice twist to the recipe which can be left out if you desire.
Warning this ham is addictive and once you’ve eaten one prepared this way an ordinary baked ham just won’t do. You may substitute 1 tablespoon of pickling spices for the bay and cloves; whether you tie them up or just toss them in is left up to you as a person choice.

6 pound cured ham
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Equal parts of apple cider and water to cover ham
1 small onion peeled
2 bay leaves
6 cloves
8 tbsp brown mustard
8 tbsp brown sugar
Whole cloves
6 ounces frozen orange juice thawed (optional)

Put ham in large stock pot and cover with water/cider mixture, add vinegar, 6 cloves, bay leaves and onion. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes per pound until meat begins to pull away from center bone. Remove from heat and leave soaking in pot for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove ham from pot and take off heavy skin, put ham in roaster, cut crisscrosses in fat. Reserve stock if using orange juice. Mix mustard and sugar into paste. Rub or pat over ham, stick cloves in ham. Mix orange juice and 1/2 to 1 cup of stock together and pour around ham in dish. Bake 30 minutes or until ham begins to brown.