Perfect Roast Holiday Ham

Perfect Roast Holiday Ham
3.5 from 13 ratings
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When my uncle sent me this recipe with no measurements, his argument was that he was "an artist, not a chef." True, but seeing as I wanted to make sure his delicious ham was replicated perfectly every time, I sought out the help of chef and owner Steve Waxman, of Trax Restaurant & Café. With the foundations of my uncle's recipe and the help of Waxman, this holiday ham is, I have to say, the perfect one — deliciously coated in a sweet, citrusy glaze, and precisely baked so that it retains a most and tender flesh. 
Servings
10
servings
Roast Holiday Ham
Ingredients
  • 1 14-16-pound bone-in smoked ham
  • 1/2 cup whole cloves, or enough to cover the ham
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon allspice
  • 1/2 cup dijon mustard
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • juice from 1 orange
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup ginger ale soda
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Score the ham’s outer layer of fat and stick the 1/2 cup of whole cloves all over it, about 1 inch apart.
  3. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablsepoon each of cinnamon and allspice and then coat the fat of the ham with the spices.
  4. Cover ham with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup honey in a small saucepan and whisk to combine. When the sugar has melted, thin it out with the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 a lemon and 1/4 cup ginger ale so that it is thin enough to spread but thick enough to stay on the ham.
  6. Remove the ham from the oven and glaze it all over with the honey-Dijon mixture.
  7. Put ham back in the oven and continue to cook uncovered, glazing every half hour, until the inside of the thickest part of the ham registers 120 degrees, about 20 minutes per pound.
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