Roast Half Ham (Butt-Half)

INGREDIENTS

• 4-1/2 pound fresh ham, Butt-half
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
• 1 cup dry vermouth
• Water as needed

Method

Preheat oven to 450°. Cut rind off pork, leaving a thin layer of fat. Rub with the mustard, then the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, sage and rosemary. Place on a rack in a medium roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 325° and continue to roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, adding water if needed, until meat reaches an internal temperature of 155°, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove from pan and tent loosely with foil. Let set about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve as is, or just drizzle with the pan juices. Alternately, you can make an easy and delicious gravy using the pan juices and adding about 1 cup of dry red wine and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly, scraping up all of the browned bits in the pan. Then, in a small bowl, knead together with your fingers 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons room temperature butter. Whisk into the juices over medium-high heat until incorporated and thickened.

Note: This recipe may be made using a larger fresh ham, up to 10 pounds, increasing the time to roast at 325° by one to two hours and, of course, increasing the amount of all the ingredients.