Honey Glazed Ham

Chef's notes:

Almost all smoked hams these days come precooked—at least in America. These “fully-cooked” hams needs only to be reheated to 140 degrees F and served. However, there are many ways to reheat ham. The most popular way is to bake it, a.k.a. roast, in the oven. This can be as simple as baking it in a covered roasting pan at 350 degrees F until done. Or, as in the case of glazing, a bit more complicated. But just a little bit more complicated.

A glazed ham is quite tasty, so if you want to try something a little bit more challenging and fun this time around, try a glazed ham.

Ingredients

  • 7 # ham half
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 cup butter
  • ¼ cup vodka, rum, or brandy
  • 1 tsp ground cloves

Ham Recipe: Smoked Half a Ham Baked on a Bed of Onions and Glazed with Honey and Spices

  1. Pick up a smoked ham of some sort. For this recipe I chose a double-smoked, honey-cured ham. Because it was off-season for ham, the selection wasn’t the best. I normally get the full-size, bone-in ham. That way I get to make soup with the bone later.
  2. Make the glaze for the ham. To make the glaze, put the sugar and honey in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once a syrup forms, add the butter a bit at a time using a whisk to blend it into a syrup. Once the butter is mixed in, stir to make sure all the sugar is melted. Then add the ground cloves. Remove from heat.
  3. Preheat the oven and get the ham ready to bake. Heat up the oven to 350 degrees F and move the oven racks around so that there is room for the ham. Slice the onion into ¼-inch slices and lay in the bottom of the roasting pan under the ham. Add about half of the glaze to the ham and pan. Cover with aluminum foil and put into the oven for one hour or until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F.
  4. Bake and glaze the ham. Once the ham is up to temp remove the cover and continue to bake it. Every five minutes, ladle some of the glaze from the saucepan over the ham. When you run out of the glaze, use the stuff in the bottom of the roasting pan. Do this until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Then let it rest for 40 minutes to an hour uncovered or lightly tented with aluminum foil. Slice and serve with a bit of the pan sauce.

Tips & Tricks

  • A precooked ham will be labeled “fully cooked.” If a ham needs to be cooked, it should tell you that it is “raw” or “uncooked.” These hams should be baked to 160 degrees F.
  • You could add cinnamon, ginger, or allspice to the glaze if you want.
  • Keep an eye on the ham as you glaze it. If the glaze begins to burn, turn the heat down a bit.
  • The onions in the bottom of the pan will be literally candied, so don’t forget to give them a taste.
  • Add a few raisins to the pan sauce and maybe cut it a little with some booze or butter. It will be very sweet.