Easter Dinner, Part 1: Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham

recipe-entreeOver the next six weeks, I will be embarking on an Easter journey.  Through food, of course.  I invite you to join me on this culinary adventure that will lead us to Easter dinner.  Each week, the recipe will focus on one part of the meal.  Put them all together for a complete holiday meal, or choose which ones you’d like to try.

Let’s start our journey with the traditional ham.  This recipe combines the rich sweetness of brown sugar with the tangy spice of Dijon mustard, both which blend perfectly with the ham.  The whole cloves studding the ham create for a beautiful presentation.  If you want to skip this slightly time consuming step, forget the whole cloves and add ¼ teaspoon ground cloves to the sauce.

Ingredients

1 10-12 pound smoked cured ham

Whole cloves

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 T cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350º.  Score top and sides of ham into a diamond pattern, making cuts about half an inch deep.  Place one clove in the center of each diamond.

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar and set aside.

Place ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake for 1½ hours.  Spread glaze over surface of ham.  Bake ham for an additional 30 minutes.

Transfer ham to a serving plate and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

 

Source: Recipe by Tricia Swann