Spicy Apricot Bourbon Glaze for Ham

This recipe is adapted from the Amazing Ribs website -- basically it combines two recipes, one for an apricot glaze and one for a brown sugar-bourbon glaze, and adds a touch of heat with a canned chipotle pepper. Chipotles are dried smoked jalapeños, canned in adobo sauce; if you open a can for this, you can keep the rest for other recipes by dividing the remainder up between cavities in an old ice cube tray, freezing, and then popping into a ziploc. (The peppers may stain plastic, hence the recommendation for an old tray.) If you don't want to use a whole can for just one or two chipotles, you can substitute with hot sauce to taste and 1/8th of a teaspoon of liquid smoke. You can also adjust the brown sugar or honey up to make it sweeter if you prefer.

Ingredients

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup bourbon

1-2 canned chipotle peppers

1 T brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/8 teaspoon ground sage

1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Combine apricot, honey, bourbon, and chipotles in a saucepan. Heat gently until warm and the honey is runny. With a stick blender, blend in the pan until chipotle peppers are pureed into the sauce. Add remaining ingredients and heat until spices are fragrant; add additional salt and pepper to taste.

To use as a glaze for ham or pork chops, bake until ham is warmed through or chops are just barely cooked. Remove from oven and brush the glaze all over with a pastry brush. Turn oven to broil and place pork underneath for 2-4 minutes, watching carefully. Broil until glaze is bubbling; remove before it starts to burn.