BAKED HAM

Easter time is a great time to find a wide assortment of inexpensive hams. This one is about 10 pounds, butt cut, bone-in.

Thaw your ham if necessary. Rule of thumb is 4-6 hours per pound. So if your ham is 10 pounds, allow about 2 days to thaw in the refrigerator. Never thaw ham out on the counter. There is too much risk of bacterial growth. Your refrigerator is the best place to thaw any food.

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BAKED HAM
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Ham takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound. 10 pounds = 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Prepare the roasting rack and pan. I spray the rack with non-stick vegetable oil spray to facilitate clean up. Add 2 cups of water to the roasting pan. Once you are ready to bake, remove the wrapper from the ham and rinse under cold, running water then pat dry with paper towels. Place the ham on the roasting rack, fat side up.

Score the exterior in a diamond pattern. To score means lightly draw the tip of the knife across the surface, taking care to not cut too deep into the meat. Scoring allows the fat layer to shrink during cooking without warping the entire roast. If you want to, stick a few whole cloves into the outer skin. Since cloves have a very strong flavor, you won't need many.

Put the roasting pan in the oven. Bake uncovered for one hour and check the ham. Add more liquid to the pan if it looks like it might all evaporate before the ham is finished baking.

Set the timer for one hour and prepare the glaze on the stovetop.

In a saucepan, combine the following ingredients:

HAM GLAZE

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup orange juice (or any fruit juice you prefer)

1/3 cup honey

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

pinch of salt

3-4 drops of Tabasco Sauce

freshly grated nutmeg

If you prefer a thicker glaze, include 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch to the sugar before you add the wet ingredients. Stir over medium-low heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Spoon the glaze over baked ham during the final hour of baking.

Return the ham to the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, spoon additional glaze over ham. Return the ham to the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. Spoon the rest of the glaze over the ham and return to the oven for 15 minutes. The glaze will caramelize to a golden brown. Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. Ham should reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Remove from oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil.

Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve into slices and serve hot. I paired this with cheesy scalloped potatoes for a nice Easter dinner. Enjoy!

Be sure to check back here for many delicious recipes using the leftovers! Look for Ham and Egg Strata, Fried Rice and Ham and Vegetables, Fettucine Alfredo with Ham and Peas, Split Pea Soup, Lentil Soup and Ham and Mushroom Quiche. These are all easy dishes and excellent ways to use leftover ham.