Cuba Libre Holiday Ham
Serves 6 to 8
Cooking Time: 2 to 3 hours
1(6 to 8 pound) ham, bone-in, uncooked
1 small jar Maraschino cherries, quartered
4 ounces rum (light or dark)
12 ounces Coca-Cola
Juices of 2 limes
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped onions
Before placing the ham in the oven, use a knife to make a tic-tac-toe pattern of ½ inch deep cuts across the fatty part of the ham. Embed the cherries in these slits all across the top of the ham. Place the ham in a roasting pan and add the rum, Coca-Cola, lime juice, broth and onion around ham. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 2 hours. If you are using a larger ham, cook it for 3 hours, or until the ham is fork-tender. Remove from the oven and uncover, then place back in the oven for 45 minutes, or until brown.
Note: Before returning the ham to the oven, a lot of folks like to pour maple syrup over the top of the ham, giving it a sweet taste.
I like to serve this dish with actual Cuba Libres, made with rum, coke and lime juice on ice.
