Ham Glaze

We are only making ham for Thanksgiving this year because my husband really hates turkey and it’s sooooo much easier to not have to worry about it! I’m excited to be making just ham and then have all the traditional sides to go along with it. I found this Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze recipe with a quick internet search and it sounds really good! So we’re going to try it this year and see if we like it.

Ham Glaze:

• 8-10 pound bone-in fully cooked ham

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (we’re using salted though!)

• 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

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees and arrange a rack in the lower third. Remove any plastic packaging or netting from the ham. Trim away the rind and discard. Set the ham aside to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

2) Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of aluminum foil for easy cleanup. I’m actually just going to be using a disposable aluminum try that I purchased at Sam’s this past weekend for SUPER easy cleanup… I’ll just throw it away when we’re done with it!

3) Remove the rind or skin of the ham, ensuring you leave the fat on. Using a sharp knife, score a 1 inch wide diamond pattern (don’t cut more than 1/4 inch deep) over the entire ham. Place the ham in the baking tray; pour 1/3 cup of water into the base of the pan and cover the ham with two pieces of foil or parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat until golden browned. Add in the brown sugar, honey, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves, stirring to mix together well until the brown sugar has completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.

5) Reduce heat to low and add in the garlic. Allow it to become fragrant, cooking for another minute or two until the glaze just begins to simmer, then set it aside and let cool to lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of room-temperature honey).

6) After 30 minutes baking time, carefully remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Discard the foil or parchment paper and pour 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham, brushing in between the cuts to evenly cover. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

7) Remove from the oven, brush with another third of the glaze and some of the pan juices, and repeat again after 15 minutes more of baking until a dark golden-brown crust has formed (about 30 minutes total). For added depth of flavor, mix some of the ham pan juices together with the glaze in the pot which will help keep it runny enough for brushing. If your crust is still pink after the suggested baking time, turn on your broiler and allow it to broil for 2-5 minutes, while keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn from the sugar.

8) Let the ham rest for 10-20 minutes before slicing.