Chef John’s Specialty Sugar-Honey Easter Ham

When I was growing up, My mother made ham for our family every Easter, so I grew to love this tradition. I really enjoy a gooey, sticky, sugary glaze slathered all over it. I thought it would be great to share this recipe with all of you – This is my Brown Sugar-Honey Easter Ham – I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I do! MY GOODNESS…This ham is Scrumptious! – Chef John

Total Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Serves: 10-14 with great leftovers

Ingredients

8-10 lb. bone-in fully cooked ham
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tbspn dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 cloves garlic, smashed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place rack in the lower third.
2. Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper if you prefer (it will make cleanup a lot easier).
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.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. Reduce heat to low and add in the garlic. Allow it to become fragrant, cooking for a further 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).
7. After 30 minutes baking time, carefully remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
8. 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.
9. Remove from the oven, brush with another third of the glaze and some of the pan juices, and repeat again after 15 minutes more minutes 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 (or oven grill), and allow it to broil for 2-5 minutes, while keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn from the sugar.
10. Let the ham rest 10-20 minutes before slicing.

P.S. If your glaze has been over simmered and begins to thicken between each baste, add some of the pan juices to it and heat it up over low heat until it warms through and is the consistency of warmed honey.

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We LOVE to see your pictures and GOOD LUCK!

-Chef John