Description
This recipe delivers a show-stopping centerpiece for any holiday gathering or special occasion: a perfectly baked spiral-cut ham, enrobed in a luscious, caramelized brown sugar and honey glaze. The glaze, infused with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, complements the savory ham, creating a symphony of flavors that is both comforting and elegant. This ham is incredibly moist, flavorful, and guaranteed to impress your guests with its presentation and taste. The spiral cut makes serving effortless, ensuring each slice is infused with the sweet and savory glaze. It’s a relatively simple recipe to execute, even for novice cooks, with minimal hands-on time, making it a stress-free addition to your festive menu.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Unbelievable Flavor: The combination of brown sugar, honey, orange juice, cinnamon, and cloves creates a glaze that is sweet, tangy, and deeply aromatic. It perfectly complements the salty richness of the ham.
- Effortless Elegance: A glazed ham is a classic holiday centerpiece that looks impressive but requires minimal effort to prepare. The spiral cut makes it easy to serve, and the glaze creates a beautiful, glossy finish.
- Moist and Tender: Baking the ham wrapped in foil helps to trap moisture, resulting in a tender and juicy ham that is never dry.
- Simple Ingredients: The recipe uses common pantry staples, making it accessible and affordable.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The glaze can be made a day in advance, and the ham can be glazed and wrapped ahead of time, leaving you with minimal work on the day of your event.
- Crowd-Pleasing: Everyone loves a good ham! This recipe is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
- Versatile: Leftover ham can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and salads to casseroles and soups.
Ingredients:
- 1 spiral cut ham, 6-10 pounds, bone-in
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
Preparation:
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Place a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan. This elevates the ham, allowing for even heat circulation and preventing it from sitting in its own drippings.
Step 2: Rinse and Dry: Remove the ham from its packaging. Rinse the ham under cold water to remove any surface debris or packaging residue. Pat the ham thoroughly dry with paper towels. This step is crucial to allow the glaze to adhere properly.
Step 3: Foil Wrap: Place the ham in the center of a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. The foil should be large enough to completely enclose the ham with plenty of room to spare. Ensure the cut-side of the ham is facing up.
Step 4: Prepare the Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, and cloves. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
Step 5: Simmer the Glaze: Bring the glaze ingredients to a gentle boil, stirring constantly to ensure the brown sugar dissolves completely. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The glaze should thicken slightly and become glossy. This simmering process intensifies the flavors and creates a beautiful, syrupy consistency.
Step 6: Glaze the Ham: Carefully open the foil packet slightly. Slowly and evenly pour the prepared glaze over the ham, ensuring that it coats each slice as much as possible. Use a spoon or spatula to gently spread the glaze and work it in between the spiral cuts.
Step 7: Seal and Bake: Wrap the ham tightly in the aluminum foil, sealing the edges to create a tight packet. This helps to trap moisture and steam, resulting in a juicy and tender ham.
Step 8: Bake: Place the wrapped ham in the preheated oven and bake according to the following guidelines:
* For a 6-pound ham: Bake for 90 minutes.
* For larger hams: Add 15 minutes per pound. For example, an 8-pound ham would require a 2-hour baking time.
* Use a meat thermometer to ensure the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C).Step 9: Rest: Once the ham is cooked through, remove it from the oven and let it rest, still wrapped in the foil, for 10-15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the ham, resulting in a more tender and flavorful final product.
Step 10: Serve: Carefully unwrap the ham and transfer it to a serving platter. Drizzle any accumulated juices from the foil packet over the ham for added flavor and moisture.
COOKING Rating:
Easy to Medium
Serving Suggestions:
- Classic Sides: Serve the baked ham with traditional holiday sides such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.
- Vegetable Medley: Roasted vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, or butternut squash make a colorful and healthy addition to your meal.
- Salad: A fresh green salad or a fruit salad provides a light and refreshing contrast to the richness of the ham.
- Gravy: While the ham is flavorful on its own, a simple pan gravy made from the drippings can add an extra layer of richness.
- Sandwiches: Leftover ham is perfect for making sandwiches with your favorite toppings and condiments.
- Breakfast Dishes: Dice leftover ham and add it to omelets, quiches, or frittatas for a delicious breakfast or brunch.
- Soups and Stews: Use leftover ham to add flavor and substance to soups, stews, or chowders.
- Pasta Dishes: Add diced ham to pasta dishes like macaroni and cheese, carbonara, or Alfredo sauce.
Tips:
- Choosing Your Ham: When selecting a spiral-cut ham, look for one that is plump, evenly colored, and has a good amount of marbling.
- Internal Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the ham is cooked to an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C).
- Don’t Overbake: Overbaking the ham can result in a dry and tough final product.
- Customize the Glaze: Feel free to customize the glaze to your liking. You can add other spices like ginger, nutmeg, or allspice, or use different types of juice, such as apple juice or pineapple juice. A splash of Dijon mustard can add a nice tangy flavor.
- Glazing Timing: For an extra glossy finish, you can unwrap the ham during the last 15-20 minutes of baking and baste it with the glaze again.
- Ham Bone: Don’t discard the ham bone! Use it to make a flavorful ham broth for soups, stews, or beans.
- Storage: Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (for a 6-pound ham – adjust accordingly)
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (for a 6-pound ham – adjust accordingly)
Nutritional Information:
(Approximate values per serving – based on a 6-pound ham with 12 servings)
- Calories: 639kcal
- Protein: 49g
- Sodium: 2697mg
Conclusion
This Classic Baked Ham with Brown Sugar & Honey Glaze recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’s surprisingly simple to make. The sweet and savory glaze caramelizes beautifully, creating a moist and flavorful centerpiece for any occasion. With minimal hands-on time, it’s perfect for holiday gatherings or special celebrations. Enjoy the compliments as you serve this stunning and delicious ham! Don’t be afraid to experiment with the glaze to make it your own. Remember to save that ham bone for a delicious soup! Happy cooking!
Questions and Answers
Q1: Can I make the glaze ahead of time?
A: Absolutely! In fact, making the glaze a day or two in advance can actually enhance its flavors. Simply prepare the glaze as instructed, let it cool completely, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to glaze the ham, gently reheat the glaze on the stovetop or in the microwave until it’s pourable.
Q2: What if I don’t have orange juice? Can I substitute it with something else?
A: Yes, you can definitely substitute the orange juice! A good alternative is pineapple juice, which adds a similar sweetness and acidity. Apple juice would also work well. You could even use a mixture of different fruit juices to create a unique flavor profile. In a pinch, even a bit of chicken broth with a squeeze of lemon juice can work, though it will alter the flavor somewhat.
Q3: I don’t have brown sugar on hand. Can I use white sugar instead?
A: While brown sugar is preferred for its molasses-rich flavor and moistness, you can substitute white sugar if needed. However, you’ll want to add a tablespoon of molasses to the white sugar to mimic the flavor of brown sugar. Mix the white sugar and molasses thoroughly before adding it to the other glaze ingredients.
Q4: How do I prevent the ham from drying out during baking?
A: There are several things you can do to prevent the ham from drying out. First, make sure to wrap the ham tightly in aluminum foil to trap moisture. Second, avoid overbaking the ham by using a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. Third, you can add a cup of water or broth to the bottom of the roasting pan to create steam, which will help to keep the ham moist. Finally, letting the ham rest, wrapped in the foil, after baking allows the juices to redistribute and keeps it succulent.
Q5: What’s the best way to carve a spiral-cut ham?
A: Carving a spiral-cut ham is very easy because of the pre-cut slices! Simply run a long, sharp knife along the bone to release the slices. Then, gently pull the slices away from the bone. You can serve the slices as is, or you can cut them into smaller pieces for easier handling.
