ham

We've got a new partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen. They'll be sharing some of their time-tested recipes and technical expertise with us weekly. Today, America's Test Kitchen demonstrates how super-crunchy Japanese panko dresses up a spectacular Spring centerpiece: baked ham.

When we want to dress up a ham, we usually turn to a sweet glaze. But for this recipe, we decided to try something a bit different: a crumb coating, which is a popular way to prepare ham in Sweden.

But we quickly discovered that this seemingly simple recipe wasn't as easy as just pressing some bread crumbs into the exterior of the ham. Our first tries resulted in dry meat, soggy crumbs, and a coating that didn't stay put once we started slicing. We had to figure out how to keep the ham moist, the crumbs dry, and the two components adhered to each other.

We started with the meat. We covered a sliced, room-temperature ham in an oven bag and baked it at a gentle 325 degrees. The room-temperature ham heats up faster, with less time to dry out; the low temperature cooks the ham gently while the bag traps steam, guaranteeing a humid environment that keeps the ham moist and reduces cooking time.

To prevent the bread crumbs from sogging out while in the oven, we applied them at the end of cooking. As the crumbs cook, they absorb moisture from the ham, so pressing them onto the ham at the tail end of cooking gave them enough time to brown, but not enough time to get soggy. Super-crunchy Japanese-style bread crumbs stayed crispier than homemade or other dried crumbs. And to keep the crumbs attached to the meat, we put together a flavorful glaze with the sticking power of Krazy Glue.

See the recipe when you keep reading.

I'd hardly turn my nose up at a box of luxe chocolates, a bottle of bubbly, or a bouquet of flowers, but what I'm really after this Valentine's Day is something simultaneously comforting and exciting; an ethereal ham and cheese soufflé certainly fits the bill. Full of classic French flavors (think ham and cheese croissant), these individual soufflés would make for a perfect light first course for any meal, but would be particularly at home as part of a Valentine's Day dinner to remember.

To address the elephant in the room, making a soufflé isn't exactly a slap-dash affair, but it's not terribly difficult either, provided you keep in mind a few simple rules. So what are you waiting for? Wow your sweetheart with these delightfully decadent treats.

I'll be honest with you: I've never been responsible for making the holiday ham. Typically, one of the men in my family (usually my grandfather) is smoking or roasting a ham. I'm not even sure what the process is; because it's never cooked in the oven, I've never even seen the ham prior to its dazzling presentation on the table. However, this year, in an effort to improve my large meat roasting skills, I volunteered to try out a holiday ham recipe. Since I'm from the South, I had to turn to a trusty source, Southern Living, for the recipe.

The key ingredient in this recipe is bourbon. Your kitchen will smell like molasses and bourbon as the ham slow roasts in your oven for several hours. Be sure to roast it the full recommended length so the sauce reduces into a sticky glaze that caramelizes the edges of the ham.

After a few bites from my most honest taste testers, my parents said, "Hmm . . . maybe you need to be responsible for the ham this year . . ." The bourbon's the trick, y'all. It adds an oaky, smoky flavor that complements the salty pork. The honey, molasses, and brown sugar just about turn this into a caramel-covered ham! My parents especially adored the bourbon glaze and even ladled hefty spoonfuls of it onto their rice and collard greens.

Prepare to fall in love with this bourbon ham recipe this holiday season.