1 fully cooked bone-in ham (5 to 7 pounds)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Step 1: Prepare the ham
To cook the ham, preheat the oven to 325° F and grab a shallow roasting pan or a large casserole dish. Place the ham on a rack and score the surface of the ham with 1/4-inch deep cuts in a diamond pattern. This opens up the outer layer of the ham, allowing the glaze to soak into the meat. For a traditional look, insert whole cloves into each diamond point of the ham.
Cover the ham with a piece of foil and bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until a thermometer reaches 130° F.
Tip: If you don’t have a rack for your roasting pan, you can use an oven-safe cooling rack. Better yet, elevate the ham by lining the bottom of the pan with onions, carrots or potatoes. The vegetables will taste great as they cook in the ham drippings!
Step 2: Ready the glaze
While the ham is baking, combine the brown sugar and mustard in a small bowl. Add enough vinegar to create a thick paste. You may not need all the vinegar.
Step 3: Glaze away
Remove the ham from the oven and discard the piece of foil. Spread the glaze over the ham using a high-heat resistant spatula ($26 for a set). The glaze will be thick, but the heat of the ham will help you spread it evenly. Bake the ham, uncovered, for an additional 15 to 30 minutes, until the thermometer reaches 140° F.
Yield: About 14 servings
The glaze goes on for the final 15 to 30 minutes of cook time, so you definitely don’t want to glaze the ham in advance. It’s best to wait until the ham is heated to an internal temperature of 130° F before hitting it with the glaze. That way, the sugars will caramelize beautifully instead of burning.