Brown Sugar Glazed Holiday Ham
A spiral-cut ham warmed slowly and brushed with a glossy brown sugar, Dijon, orange and clove glaze until caramelized. Serves 12 to 16.
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A glazed ham feeds a crowd with almost no work. A fully cooked spiral-cut ham only needs to be warmed through gently, covered so it stays moist, then brushed with a sweet and tangy glaze and returned to the oven until it caramelizes.
The glaze of brown sugar, Dijon mustard, orange juice and a pinch of cloves takes five minutes to make.
Ingredients
Ham
- 1 (8 to 10 pound) fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham
- 1 cup water or orange juice
Glaze
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Orange slices and rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Warm the ham. Heat the oven to 325°F. Place the ham cut side down in a roasting pan, add the water, and cover tightly with foil. Bake about 12 minutes per pound, until the center reaches 120°F, about 2 hours.
- Make the glaze. Simmer the brown sugar, mustard, orange juice, honey and cloves for 3 to 4 minutes, until syrupy.
- Glaze. Raise the oven to 400°F. Uncover the ham and brush generously with glaze, letting some run between the slices.
- Caramelize. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, brushing with more glaze halfway, until glossy and caramelized and the center reaches 140°F. Rest 15 minutes and garnish with orange slices and rosemary.
Tips
- Discard the packet of glaze that comes with the ham; homemade is far better.
- Save the ham bone for split pea soup.
Questions about this recipe
- How much ham per person?
- About 3/4 pound of bone-in ham per person, which leaves some leftovers.
- What temperature should a cooked ham reach?
- Reheat a fully cooked ham to 140°F.
More holiday recipes
All holiday recipes | All recipes | Cooking guide and safe temperatures
