Honey baked ham is a classic holiday dish that combines the sweetness of honey with the savory flavor of ham. Here’s a description of this delicious dish:
To make honey baked ham, a bone-in or boneless ham is first prepared by scoring the surface with shallow cuts in a diamond pattern. This helps the glaze penetrate into the meat and adds an attractive presentation.
Next, a glaze is made by combining honey, brown sugar, mustard, and sometimes other seasonings such as cloves or cinnamon. This glaze is brushed generously over the surface of the ham, ensuring that it coats the entire exterior.
The ham is then baked in the oven until heated through and the glaze becomes caramelized and sticky. Basting the ham with the glaze mixture throughout the cooking process helps to build up layers of flavor and creates a beautiful golden brown crust.
Honey baked ham is a favorite dish for special occasions and gatherings, and its delicious aroma is sure to tantalize the taste buds of everyone in attendance.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 lb spiral cut ham
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- cooking spray
- fresh herbs for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9″ x 13″ pan with cooking spray.
-Place the ham cut side down in the pan and pour the honey over the top. Cover the pan with foil.
-Bake for 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the ham registers 140 degrees F. Remove the ham from the oven and preheat the broiler.
-Place the sugar, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and smoked paprika in a medium sized pan along with 1/2 cup of drippings from the pan or water.
-Stir to combine the sugar and liquid then bring to a boil. Boil for exactly one minute.
-Pour half the glaze over the ham and place the ham under the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until glaze starts bubbling.
-Remove the ham from the oven and pour the remaining glaze over the ham. Broil for 1-2 minutes more.
-Remove the ham from the oven and separate the slices. Transfer the ham to a platter and serve, garnished with herbs if desired.