Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Instead of the traditional cured ham that’s full of sodium and nitrates, bake the flavors of honey-baked ham into a pork picnic roast. The meat slowly roasts so that the sugar-honey spice rub bakes into a shellac-like crust. And the roast slices like ham, with firm but juicy slices that go perfectly with a simple honey-mustard sauce. We use a skin-on picnic roast here, which is cheaper than a Boston butt roast—making the holiday a little more affordable. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin, but leave the fat layer on to insulate the meat as it cooks.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Step 2
Trim tough outer skin layer from pork, leaving as much fat as possible intact. Discard skin. Rub 2 1/2 tablespoons honey over pork. Combine sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a bowl; rub mixture evenly over all sides of pork. Place pork, fat side up, in a foil-lined broiler pan.
Step 3
Bake at 300°F until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 170° to 180°F, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
Step 4
Combine remaining 1/4 cup honey, mayonnaise, and remaining ingredients; serve sauce with pork.
