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Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Brown sugar glazed ham is a fully cooked bone-in ham warmed slowly, then baked under a glossy glaze of brown sugar, mustard and cider vinegar.
Recipe Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 2 hours and15 minutes
  • Servings for 14 people

Brown sugar glazed ham is the centerpiece of many American Christmas dinners, and of Easter too: a fully cooked smoked ham on the bone, warmed slowly in the oven and finished with a shiny, caramelized coat of brown sugar and mustard sharpened with cider vinegar.

Because the hams sold in American stores are already cooked, the oven only has to heat the meat through without drying it out; the glaze goes on in the last half hour, so the sugar caramelizes instead of burning. A diamond pattern studded with cloves is the old-fashioned look.

One ham feeds a crowd, and the leftovers go into sandwiches, breakfast eggs and a split pea soup made with the bone.

Ingredients for 14 people

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Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 165 °C (325 °F). Set the ham, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
  2. With a sharp knife, score the surface in a diamond pattern, making cuts about 6 mm (1/4 inch) deep. For the traditional look, press a whole clove into each point where the cuts cross.
  3. Cover the ham loosely with foil and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, about 15 to 20 minutes per 450 g (1 lb), until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part, away from the bone, reads 54 °C (130 °F).
  4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and the mustard, then add the cider vinegar a little at a time until you have a thick, spreadable paste. You may not need all of it.
  5. Take the ham out of the oven, remove the foil and spread the glaze evenly over the top and sides. Return it to the oven, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling and caramelized and the center of the ham reads 60 °C (140 °F).
  6. Let the ham rest for about 15 minutes, then carve it in slices and spoon over any glaze left in the pan. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

For a spiral-cut ham, skip the scoring and cloves, wrap the ham tightly in foil with a splash of water in the pan so the slices stay moist, and brush the glaze between the slices for the last 20 minutes. You can also replace the vinegar with orange or pineapple juice, or add a few spoonfuls of honey to the glaze.

Tips

Read the label: this method is for a fully cooked ham. A ham labeled cook before eating must reach 63 °C (145 °F) and rest for 3 minutes, so it needs longer in the oven. Add the glaze only in the last 15 to 30 minutes, or the sugar will burn. A shank end is easier to carve, a butt end is a little more tender.

Storage

Keep leftover ham wrapped or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it, sliced or diced, for up to 2 months. Save the bone for split pea or bean soup.

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