Easter Ham
A spiral-cut ham warmed gently under foil, then glazed with brown sugar, mustard, and pineapple juice under high heat until lacquered. Since the ham is already fully cooked, the entire job is reheating without drying it out.
- Prep15 min
- Cook2 h 15 min
- Total2 h 50 min
- Serves16
AI-generated illustration
Contains:meat
Ingredients
Method
- Take the spiral-cut bone-in ham out of the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking so it does not go into the oven ice cold, and set an oven rack low enough that the roasting pan clears the top element.
- Set the ham cut side down in a roasting pan, pour 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan, and cover the whole thing tightly with foil so it steams rather than dries.
- Bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for about 12 minutes per pound, roughly 1 3/4 hours for a 9-pound ham, until a thermometer pushed between the slices near the bone reads 130 degrees F (54 degrees C).
- While it heats, simmer the dark brown sugar, Dijon mustard, honey, cider vinegar, ground cloves, black pepper, and the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until it thickens to a pourable syrup, about 6 minutes.
- Uncover the ham, raise the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and brush a third of the glaze over the surface, working some down between the slices. Return it to the oven for 10 minutes, then glaze again, and repeat once more, for about 30 minutes total, until the outside is dark and sticky and the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).
- Rest the ham 15 minutes, then transfer to a board and pull the slices free from the bone. Spoon the pan juices over them.
Notes
- Food safety: a fully cooked ham only needs to reach 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Cooking it further is what makes spiral hams dry and stringy, so use a thermometer rather than the clock.
- Save the bone for split pea or bean soup; it freezes well.
