A ham makes a wonderful meal and usually means you’ll have leftovers to enjoy, whether it’s a slice of ham sizzled in a pan for breakfast, thinly sliced for a sandwich with Swiss cheese, or chopped into pieces and baked into a quiche. When preparing the ham, make the glaze just before you’re ready to put it on the ham and into the oven, otherwise it may harden into mustard caramel. (If this does happen, just add a tablespoon or 2 of water and reheat until it is a syrupy consistency and get it on the ham pronto.)
Makes enough glaze for a 6-pound ham, serves 12–14 people; double recipe for a larger ham
6-pound boneless ham (keep your eyes open for local Hutterite hams)
Whole cloves
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 325°F. Stud the ham with cloves and set in an oven-safe baking dish and cover with foil. Set the ham in the oven to warm through, which takes about 45 minutes, or a bit longer for a larger or bone-in ham.
Toward the end of the warming time, start the glaze. Combine the brown sugar, mustard, and apple cider vinegar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Take the ham from the oven, set aside the foil, and crank up the oven temp to 375°F. Brush or drizzle the glaze on the ham. Return the ham to the oven for a final 30 minutes of warming time and to caramelize the glaze. Remove ham from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
