Johnny Jalapeno's Round-em Up Dipping Sauce (and Ham Glaze)

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 8 ounces crushed pineapple, juice and all
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry (plus 2 tbsp of the juice)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 -3 jalapenos, chopped (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Recipe

• 1 dipping sauce: to a medium saucepan mix water and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. place on burner over medium low heat and add remaining sauce ingredients.
• 2 let simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. let cool slightly and place in a food processor or use an emulsion blender to get a smooth consistency.
• 3 serve warm or cold for a meat or vegetable platter. as a glaze for grilling, simply brush on the last few minutes of grill time. for a roast chicken or turkey (whole or parts), follow glazing directions for ham.
• 4 baked ham: preheat oven to 325°f using a sharp knife, score a 3 lb lamb shoulder (or other ham roast) skin 1/4" deep in a diagonal direction. repeat about 2" apart. now cut opposite lines to create a diamond pattern. place about 2 tablespoons whole cloves in the points of the diamonds, pushing them into the ham.
• 5 glazing: remove ham 30 minutes before done and spread (or brush) about 1 cup of the sauce all over the ham. sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.
• 6 remove from oven and drizzle about 1/3 cup honey over ham. let rest 20-30 minutes before slicing. serve with additional glaze at the table for a dipping sauce or garnish.