Second place no more! The Holiday Ham seems to always follow the beloved turkey when it comes to being the star of the festive main courses. We’re here to give this juicy, rosy pork a chance! Just look at it. It’s glistening with hints of caramel-ly brown sugar, thick, syrupy honey, and a few savory spices. And it tastes just as good! Tender, flavorful, and did we mention, juicy? See? Holiday Ham deserves some honor. Trust us. You won’t be disappointed making it your holiday feast hero!
Ingredients
- 8-10 pounds ham, bone-in, fully-cooked, packaging removed, and room temperature
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and arrange a rack in the lower third position.
Step 2 –Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Step 3 –Discard the rind or the skin from the ham, ensuring to leave the fat on.
Step 4 –Carefully and using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern over the entire ham. Ensure not to cut more than 1/4-inch deep.
Step 5 –Place the ham in the prepared baking tray.
Step 6 –Pour 1/3 cup of the water into the tray and cover the ham with 2 pieces aluminum foil.
Step 7 –Bake the ham for 30 minutes.
Step 8 –While the ham is baking, in a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter until golden brown.
Step 9 –Add the brown sugar, the honey, the Dijon mustard, the cinnamon, and the ground cloves to the browned butter, stirring until the brown sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 –Adjust the stovetop temperature to low and add the garlic to the glaze mixture.
Step 11 –Cook the glaze mixture until it becomes fragrant and it begins to simmer, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 12 –Transfer the glaze away from the heat and allow it to cool until lukewarm. It will have a honey-like consistency.
Step 13 –Carefully transfer the baked ham from the oven.
Step 14 –Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Step 15 –Discard the foil and pour 1/3 of the room temperature glaze over the ham, ensuring to brush in between the cuts to evenly cover.
Step 16 –Return the glazed ham to the oven and bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Repeat the glazing process every 15 minutes until the ham is golden-brown and a crust has formed, about 30 minutes. If the crust is still pink, turn on the broiler and broil until golden-brown, about 2-5 minutes, watching carefully not to burn it.
Step 17 –Let the ham rest for 10-20 minutes.
Step 18 –Slice and serve.
