Baked Honey-Glazed Ham

Hams are usually decorated in the traditional manner of scoring (making diagonal slashes in the fat with a sharp knife to form diamond shapes, studding with whole cloves, and glazing. A distinctive flavor can be achieved with a glaze.

In the 1824 cookbook called The Virginia Housewife written by Mary Randolph (a relative of Thomas Jefferson), the process was described as toasting a ham instead of glazing: "To toast a ham, boil it well, take off the skin, and over the top thickly with bread crumbs, put it in an oven to brown and serve it up." - From The Ham Book - A Comprehensive Guide to Ham Cookery, by Monette & Bob Harrell.

Check out Ham 101 to learn all about cooking hams. Also check out all of Linda's great Pork Recipes.

Don't forget to check out my Honey-Glazed Ham Easter dinner menu which includes this wonderful Baked Honey-Glazed Ham. This ham would also be great for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Baked Honey-Glazed Ham

Smoked ham
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
Whole cloves
Unsweetened slices fresh or canned pineapple rings
Maraschino Cherries
1 cup slightly sweet white wine
1 cup ginger ale

Preheat oven to 250°F or if pressed or time, 300°F. Remove the rind from the ham and most of the fat, leaving an even layer about 1/8-inch thick. Place the ham in a baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil (this will eliminate a nasty clean-up later). Score the fat on the ham (making a diamond pattern).

In a small bowl, combine prepared mustard, brown sugar, and honey. Rub the ham all over with the mustard-honey sauce, pressing sauce into the cut marks. Stick a whole clove in the center of each diamond. Using toothpicks, secure slices of pineapple to the ham. Then in the center of each pineapple ring, secure maraschino cherries with toothpicks.

NOTE: If preparing half a ham, cover the cut end with heavy-duty aluminum foil, secured with toothpicks, to keep the meat from drying out.

Bake the ham, fat side up, from 4 hours to all day. Baste every 30 minutes with equal parts wine and ginger ale, or ginger ale only. Later in the cooking, baste with pan juices. When done, remove from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let the ham stand for 30 minutes before carving.

Cut away the rind and excess fat. Then cut into slices, as thin as possible. Add accumulated carving juices to the remaining sauce and serve separately. Arrange the meat on a warmed serving platter.