Name: Holiday Ham, Three Ways
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: Serves 16-20
Ingredients: One 12-14-pound cured and smoked bone-in ham, preferably with a layer of fat; 1 1/2 cups peach preserves; 1 cup Dijon mustard (preferably country Dijon); 1/2 cup cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; 4 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 cups); 1 1/2 cups hot pepper jelly; 3/4 cup orange juice; 3 tablespoons finely grated garlic; 3 tablespoons finely grated ginger; 3 tablespoons whole allspice, crushed; 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; 1 cup pure maple syrup; 1/4 cup smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons ground cumin; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 2 tablespoons onion powder; 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper; Biscuits or soft dinner rolls; Spicy Honey Mustard; Pickles; A roasting pan with rack

Sliced glazed ham with diamond scoring pattern on a platter.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone

Here's a foolproof base recipe and three delicious ways to dress up your holiday ham. Don't forget to save the bone for a fabulous soup! And remember, if you're not feeding a huge crowd, you can easily halve this recipe for a smaller ham. If this is your first time making ham (or you need a refresher) see our guide to cooking ham for the holidays.

Cooks' Note

Country Dijon is a rustic blend of Dijon and whole grain mustard.

Recipe information

Total Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 16-20

Ingredients

For the ham:

One 12-14-pound cured and smoked bone-in ham, preferably with a layer of fat

Choose Tangy Peach Mustard:

1 1/2 cups peach preserves

1 cup Dijon mustard (preferably country Dijon)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

4 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)

Or choose Sweet and Spicy Jerk:

1 1/2 cups hot pepper jelly

3/4 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons finely grated garlic

3 tablespoons finely grated ginger

3 tablespoons whole allspice, crushed

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Or choose Smoky BBQ Maple:

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup smoked paprika

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

For serving:

Biscuits or soft dinner rolls

Spicy Honey Mustard

Pickles

Special Equipment:

A roasting pan with rack

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F, with the rack in the lower third of oven. If your ham has a layer of fat, use a sharp paring knife to score the fat in a diamond crosshatch pattern, about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep.
For Tangy Peach Mustard Ham or Sweet and Spicy Jerk Ham:
Step 2
In a medium bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients of your choice. Brush all over ham (reserving some glaze for basting while cooking).
For Smoky BBQ Ham:
Step 3
Brush the ham with maple syrup (reserving some syrup for basting while cooking). Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl, then rub all over ham, pressing into syrup to adhere.
Step 4
Position roasting rack in roasting pan; pour 2 cups water into pan and place prepared ham on rack. Cover pan with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove pan from oven, remove foil, and brush ham with reserved glaze or maple syrup. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
Step 5
Return ham to oven uncovered. Bake until glaze has caramelized and the ham's internal temp reads 135°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the middle of the ham (avoiding bone), brushing with more glaze or syrup if desired, 40 minutes to 1 hour more.
Step 6
Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with biscuits or rolls, mustard, and pickles.
Do Ahead
Step 7
Glazes can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Rub (without maple syrup) can be made up to 1 month in advance and kept at room temperature.

TagsHam Meat Main Dinner Gluten Free Nut Free Dairy Free Roast Christmas Thanksgiving Epicurious

Recipe notes

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