Sponsored by:

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[ed-Seth: Sources with close ties* to Jim Harbaugh are now saying with 99% certainty that his decision between Michigan and the NFL will not come down to who has the better barbecue. However we're not going to take the chance.

We have therefore brought back Joe Pichey from MMMGoBluBBQ to share his tailgating recipes, and Stubb's has again offered to sponsor it. This is one of those things where we really liked their BBQ sauce, and they like this blog, and the blog likes Joe's recipes, and we all want Harbaugh to come back to Ann Arbor very much.]

* [The ties my sources mailed to Harbaugh are in San Francisco and "out for delivery" according to UPS, so these are very close ties indeed.]

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It's time to get serious. I can't keep checking the internet for coaching updates and hang on to the tiny bit of sanity I have left. The only way to keep the smartphone out of my hand is by replacing it with a set of grilling tongs. I also want to help make coaches decision a little easier.

The best way i know to do that is to offer a HOMECOMING Holiday Honey Ham with a side of Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls. I can almost guarantee that we are the only team extending this offer. Almost!! (You never know with that Davis group out in Oakland).

This is my favorite recipe for holiday ham and can be done for 1/3 the cost of those "wait in line all day" Honey Hams. 

Ingredients:

Spiral Sliced Smoked Ham (Bone In - Shank Portion)

Honey Glaze:

1 cup Packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup Honey
2 TBS Dijon Mustard
3 - 4 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar (add more if needed to make wetter glaze)
1 TSP Cayenne pepper (optional)
2 TBS Fresh ground pepper
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce.

Bacon wrapped Stuffing Balls:

Stuffing (use your favorite stuffing recipe)

Bacon slices

[After the jump, the trick is to keep the indirect heat on]

Set your grill up for indirect heat or fire up your favorite smoker and shoot for 325 degrees. As always, I used a good fruit wood for this as it pairs well with ham. I went with pecan wood, but cherry would also be a great choice. Once you have reached 325 degrees, place your spiral cut ham on a thin baking sheet and place on the grill. Now we can turn our attention to the glaze. The ham will smoke for about 30 minutes before we apply or first coat. This type of ham has already been cooked and only needs to be warmed thru. We will let it go for about 2 hours or until we hit 140 degrees internally.

Making your glaze could not be any easier. Combine all of your GLAZE ingredients and mix well. We want a wet consistency that can be slathered on the exterior of the ham.

Once this is all mixed, it should look like this. If it's a little thick, add some more apple cider vinegar.

Once this is combined and the ham has been on the smoker for 20-30 minutes, it's time to have some fun.  Start slathering! We will use about 1/4 of the glaze each time. Don't use it all on the first glaze and don't eat it all with a spoon.  It's that tasty. If it starts to get a little thick, use the juices in the pan to thin it out. We will repeat this step every 20-30 minutes.

After about 2 hours, you will be out of glaze and your ham will be nearing the 140 degree mark.  It should look like this. That sugary glaze has started to set up and darken.

Once it hits 140 degrees, you can remove from the smoker and rest for a few minutes under a foil tent. Or, you can have some real fun. The exterior is coated with a semi crunchy sugary goodness, but needs a little help getting to the next level. We can get it there by placing it under a broiler (BORING ZZZZZzzzzzzzz) or using a TORCH. Ya, let's grab the torch and crisp it up. The sugar will start to bubble and you will notice the exterior getting super crispy. This was my favorite part of the cook. SO TASTY!!!!

Once you have torched the exterior to your liking, cover loosely with some foil and relax.  Keep the juices in the bottom of the pan and save for later. It makes a great gravy or dipping sauce for the stuffing balls.

For the stuffing balls, it's best to prepare your stuffing ahead of time and roll into balls.  Mine were the size of golf balls.

Cut a piece of bacon in half and wrap. You can secure with a toothpick if you'd like or place the edges of the bacon on the bottom.

We will smoke these for about 60 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Cook them along side your ham if you have room and at 325 degrees. Use the ham juices as a great basting sauce. It adds some great flavor to the balls.

After an hour, these were done and driving my neighbor nuts. The sweet smell was ridiculous. These are a winner for sure. Give them a shot.

I will gladly prepare this for coach and his family once he signs on the dotted line.  I'm sure we will never know if this helped or hurt in the decision making process, but let's just assume this is what put it over the top. Feel free to send me pics of your cook to [email protected]. I love hearing about your BBQ adventures or just talking Maize and Blue sports.

The original version of this recipe can be found at www.foodwishes.blogspot.com. This is a great video cooking site and is a favorite of mine. Thanks Chef John.