Honey Baked Ham
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 50 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs 45 mins
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Servings
16
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Honey Baked Ham
Description
This Honey Baked Ham recipe starts by soaking the ham, with its plastic covering intact, twice in hot water to aid in heat penetration. After preheating the oven to 250°F, the ham is placed in an oven bag, secured, and baked slowly to an internal temperature of 100°F, preserving tenderness.
Toward the end of baking, a glaze is made from butter, honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and optional orange zest. The glaze is cooked until sugar dissolves and then applied to the ham to create a flavorful, sticky coating. The process of slow baking followed by glazing ensures the ham remains moist and flavorful.
This dish is well-suited for holiday meals or special occasions. Using a ham free of water additives is recommended to avoid excess moisture.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 - 10 lb) ham fully cooked, spiral sliced
- 2 Tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp cloves ground
- 1/2 tsp orange optional, fresh zest
- 1 oven bag
Instructions
- Leave ham's plastic or foil covering intact and place ham in a large container (or a clean sink that plugs up well) and cover with hot tap water. Let rest 45 minutes.
- Drain water then cover with hot tap water again and let rest 45 minutes longer. Near the end adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Unwrap ham and remove plastic disk below ham bone. Place ham in oven bag and wrap bag so it fits snugly around ham. Tie bag and cut away excess plastic on top. Cut 4 small slits in top of bag.
- Set ham cut-side down in a large roasting pan and bake in preheated oven until center registers 100 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours (about 10 minutes per pound).
- Near the end of baking, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in brown sugar, honey, mustard, pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and cook, whisking constantly, just until sugar dissolves, about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in orange zest and let cool just until it's about the consistency of honey, about 10 minutes (when ready to glaze ham rewarm glaze as needed if it has thickened too much).
- Remove ham from oven. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Cut oven bag and roll down to expose ham. Brush all over with 1/2 of the glaze. Bake in oven 5 minutes then remove and brush with remaining glaze. Bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving and serving.
- Recipe source: cooking method adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Notes
- Choose a ham without added water to ensure better flavor and texture.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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