The Greatest and Best Glazed Ham Recipe for the Holidays

Skip these costly glazed hams and make your personal as a substitute!

Glazed ham is scrumptious, but it surely’s not essentially wholesome. The ham itself isn’t horrible — about 289 energy and 15 grams of fats per 4-1/2-ounce serving — however the glazes are normally comprised of pure sugar. Not solely that, however glazed ham is way more costly than common ham. Should you solely knew how straightforward it was to make your personal, you’ll by no means purchase a glazed ham once more! Our straightforward ham glaze recipe solely accommodates 4 components. All of them are in all probability already in your pantry: honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. They arrive collectively to create a crowd-pleasing important dish that’s excellent for any vacation gathering.

What to Look For When Shopping for a Ham

There are just a few several types of ham, and also you wish to be sure you choose up the suitable sort in your vacation gathering. They’re not quite common, so that you in all probability received’t run into this difficulty, however make certain you don’t unintentionally purchase a contemporary ham. These hams are uncooked (identical to a pork loin), they usually’ll should be cooked for for much longer than the recipe beneath particulars.

The hams you need have been cured and smoked, and they need to be labeled as “absolutely cooked” on the packaging. You solely must reheat the ham with the glaze, a course of that normally takes between 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Bear in mind that some ham has been plumped up with water. Search for one which doesn’t comprise “water added” or “with pure juices” on the label.

Varieties of Ham

We favor bone-in, unsliced ham. These hams are absolutely intact and appear like a roast. Cooking them with the bone in makes the meat extra flavorful. Maintaining them entire additionally prevents the ham from drying out when it’s reheated. Plus, you get to make use of the bone to make break up pea and ham soup later! You additionally get to decide on the thickness of the slices with one of these ham, chopping them as skinny or as thick as you need.

Spiral sliced hams nonetheless have the bone intact, however they’re pre-sliced for comfort. All it’s a must to do is slice alongside the bone to launch the slices from the roast, making serving that a lot simpler. These spiral sliced hams can typically dry out once they’re reheated, although, they usually may come pretreated with a glaze.

Lastly, there are boneless hams. The bone is eliminated earlier than curing and smoking the ham, and a particular course of is used to press the ham collectively so it doesn’t comprise a big gap. The feel is barely totally different in a boneless ham, however they nonetheless style nice. This can be a good possibility should you want a smaller ham, as they’re typically accessible in smaller sizes.

How A lot Ham Do I Want?

We recommend estimating 1/3 to 1/2 pound of bone-in ham per individual, or 1/4 to 1/3 pound of boneless ham per individual. The vitamin data beneath is calculated primarily based on a 4.5-ounce portion of ham per individual, or simply over 1/4 pound.

An Straightforward Ham Glaze Recipe for the Holidays

Our ham glaze recipe couldn’t be any simpler. You’ll begin by reheating the ham in a 325°F oven. The warmth is light sufficient to warmth the ham by way of in about two hours with out drying it out. We additionally suggest overlaying the ham with foil so as to add further moisture insurance coverage.

We suggest putting the ham on the rack of a roasting pan, however you might have choices should you don’t have one. You possibly can place it on an oven-safe cooling rack set inside a baking sheet. Should you don’t have a type of both, don’t fret; add a layer of chopped onions, carrots, or potatoes to the underside of the pan to raise the ham. The greens will style nice after they’re cooked in all of the ham drippings!

Then, we rating the ham to permit the glaze to achieve deeper contained in the meat. With a pointy knife, make 1/4-inch deep cuts into the highest of the ham. The diamond sample makes the ham very enticing, and you’ve got the choice so as to add cloves in every diamond level to offer the ham a traditional look.

After the ham is heated to 130°F, it’s time for the glaze. We use honey to maintain the sugars pure, utilizing slightly brown sugar to assist the glaze come collectively in a thick paste. The Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar add the right degree of tangy taste to stability out the candy flavors. Unfold the glaze evenly over the ham, and in about 15 to half-hour, the ham will look completely beautiful!

Serving This Straightforward Glazed Ham Recipe

Glazed ham makes a wonderful centerpiece for any vacation meal. It’s additionally straightforward sufficient to tug off for a weekend dinner. When the ham is completed, take away it from the oven and let it relaxation for not less than quarter-hour. Then, utilizing a pointy slicing knife, make a number of cuts vertically from the highest of the ham down in the direction of the bone, stopping when the knife reaches the bone. Then, flip the knife horizontally and run it alongside the bone to free the slices. Repeat the method on the opposite facet of the ham.

Now that the ham is carved, serve it along with your favourite facet dishes! It pairs nicely with any sort of salad, like this Spinach, Lentil, and Beet Salad with Orange French dressing or a Garlic Braised Greens and Chickpea Salad. It’s additionally improbable by itself with any variety of vegetable facet dishes, like Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Charred Corn, or Cauliflower-Parsnip Puree.

If you find yourself with leftovers, don’t be afraid to get artistic. Glazed ham makes an unbelievable ham and cheese sandwich, however it could possibly achieve this way more than sandwiches. Use skinny slices to make baked breakfast cups or add massive diced items to candy potato hash. It’s additionally nice in soup recipes like chowder, salads, casseroles, and extra!