Recipe Background
Oh-My Ham: A memorable, oven-roasted ham perfect for marking new beginnings.
Back when I first moved into my new apartment after college, I was determined to host a feast that would mark the beginning of this new phase. I was still unboxing and finding my way around the kitchen, and a friend was coming over for dinner. I wanted to impress without too much of a culinary challenge. The ham recipe caught my eye, a classic with a twist, and ham seemed like the perfect centerpiece for this new chapter. Ever since, I've loved having a jewel-like ham as a way to create connection over a meal. With a splash of Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of spices like cinnamon, the glaze became a perfect highlight.
It was a lovely chaos, not knowing which box held the spices, but discovering a roll of parchment paper was the biggest win. Wrapping it around the ham felt like tucking it into a culinary nap. The buttery glaze, mingling with honey, was just magical. By letting the butter swirl until golden-brown, the nutty aroma lingered, signaling that everything was going to be just fine. I recall scoring the diamond pattern over the ham felt like getting an elaborate tattoo without the pain. Then came the gentle brush of glaze, an exercise in patience and anticipation.
At one point, the oven temperature climb acted as both a graduation from my trainee-chef status and as a way to let the true flavors come out under the heat. After the ham settled, a taste test revealed a symphony of sweetness and sharpness. The smoky undertones and the hint of garlic made this a memorable evening. Letting the ham rest while discovering I’d forgotten to fix curtains was a moment that struck as quintessential 'new beginnings'. That ham brought comfort and kinship, marking a journey well started. Now, whenever I catch a whiff of cinnamon softened by cloves, I am transported back to that first dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 (8-10-pound) bone-in ham cooked
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
Directions
- Arrange an oven rack in the lower third position, then preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Remove any packaging from the ham and trim away the rind. Make sure to leave the fat on the ham. Discard the rind.
- Allow the ham to come to room temperature, about 1-2 hours.
- Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of foil or parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern over the entire ham, making sure the scores are no deeper than 1/4-inch.
- Place the ham in the prepared baking tray.
- Pour the water into the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the ham with two pieces of foil or parchment paper.
- Bake the ham for 30 minutes.
- In a small pot or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, while swirling it lightly, until it is golden-brown.
- Add the brown sugar, the honey, the Dijon mustard, the cinnamon, and the cloves to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until the brown sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the stovetop heat to low.
- Add the garlic to the butter mixture and cook, while stirring lightly, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Allow the butter mixture to cook just until it begins to simmer and thicken into a glaze, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the pot from the heat and let the glaze mixture cool to a lukewarm temperature.
- Transfer the ham from the oven.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
- Discard the foil from the ham.
- Pour 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham, brushing it in between the scores with a pastry brush.
- Bake the ham for 15 minutes.
- Brush the ham with 1/2 of the remaining glaze and some of the pan juices and bake until a dark golden-brown crust has formed and the ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
- Brush the ham with the remaining glaze and the pan juices.
- Let the ham rest for 10-20 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
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