Perfect Holiday Ham (with 6 Easy Glaze Recipes!)
A comprehensive guide to making a classic, showstopper Glazed Spiral-Cut Ham, perfect as the centerpiece for a holiday meal like Christmas or Easter. The recipe provides a basic method for slow-roasting a fully-cooked, bone-in ham until it is tender and juicy. It also includes six distinct, from-scratch glaze recipes to choose from, ranging from a classic Mustard-Orange to a more adventurous Pomegranate-Jalapeño. The ham is repeatedly brushed with the chosen glaze during the final stages of cooking to create a thick, sweet, and caramelized crust.
Ingredients
- For the Ham:
- 1 (10- to 12-pound) fully cooked bone-in half ham
- 2 cups water
- For the Mustard-Orange Glaze:
- 1 orange, sliced, plus juice of 2 oranges
- Whole cloves
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- For the Pineapple-Rum Glaze:
- Thinly sliced fresh pineapple & whole cloves
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 1 cup pineapple preserves
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1 tsp mustard powder & 1/2 tsp each ground cloves, allspice, coriander
- For the Pomegranate-Jalapeño Glaze:
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup spicy mustard
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp jalapeño hot sauce
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds & 1 diced jalapeño (for serving)
- For the Cranberry-Maple Glaze:
- 2 cups cranberries
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 thyme sprigs & 1 tbsp chopped thyme
- 1 cinnamon stick
- For the Ginger-Juniper Glaze:
- 2 tsp whole juniper berries & 1 tsp whole black peppercorns (for pan)
- 2 tsp crushed juniper berries & 1 tsp crushed peppercorns (for glaze)
- 1 cup ginger preserves
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 3 tbsp champagne vinegar
- For the Rosemary-Honey Mustard Glaze:
- 4 rosemary sprigs (for pan)
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Let the ham sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Trim any skin from the ham, leaving a 1/2-inch layer of fat. Score the fat in a 1-inch crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat.
- Place the ham, fat-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour 2 cups of water into the pan. If your chosen glaze requires it, add aromatics (like orange slices, cloves, or herb sprigs) to the ham or water now.
- Tent the pan with foil and bake until a thermometer inserted into the ham registers 110°F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- While the ham bakes, prepare the glaze of your choice according to the specific recipe directions (most involve simmering the ingredients in a saucepan until syrupy).
- Once the ham reaches 110°F, remove it from the oven and uncover it.
- Whisk 1/4 cup of the pan juices into your prepared glaze. Brush the ham with about half of the glaze.
- Return the ham to the oven and continue baking, uncovered, brushing with the remaining glaze twice more, until the glaze is caramelized and a thermometer registers 140°F. This will take an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Transfer the ham to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
- While the ham rests, you can strain the remaining pan juices into a saucepan and boil until slightly syrupy to serve as a sauce.
Notes
- This is a showstopper main course, perfect for holidays. It is a long-term cooking project, so plan accordingly.
- Letting the ham come to room temperature before roasting helps it to cook more evenly.
- Scoring the fat not only creates a beautiful presentation but also allows the glaze to penetrate the meat.
- Resting the ham before carving is a crucial step to ensure the meat is juicy and tender.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/perfect-holiday-ham/