Best Holiday Ham Recipes

HOME-CURED HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Place kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice, and pink salt in a container large enough to hold the brine and the ham.
• Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and pour over the brine ingredients; whisk to dissolve. Pour in 1 gallon fresh cold water to cool down the mixture.
• Score the skin side of the pork roast with a sharp knife. Cut into the fat beneath the skin but not into the meat. Score about 1 inch apart, then score in the opposite direction to get the classic diamond-shaped pattern.
• Lower scored roast into the cooled brine, skin side up. Use a plate to weigh down the roast so that it cures fully submerged in the liquid. Refrigerate for 1 day for every 2 pounds of pork (for a 7 pound roast, cure for at least 2 1/2 days). Turn the roast over halfway through the brining process.
• Remove roast from brining liquid. Discard the brining liquid and transfer the roast back to the brining container. Cover the roast with fresh cold water to rinse off some of the salt. Depending on how salty you want your ham, you can soak it for just a few minutes or overnight. Remove roast from the water and blot dry with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add a cup of water to a roasting pan with 2 whole star anise. Place roast on a rack in the roasting pan.
• Roast until ham reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F, about 2 hours. Ham will not be fully cooked at this point. If water has nearly evaporated, add a splash more. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Continue to roast until skin is browned and crispy and ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees F.
• To make the optional glaze, mix the mustard, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Brush glaze on the ham at this point, not before. Return roast to oven for about 5 minutes to crisp it even further.

SUNNY'S EASY HOLIDAY SPIRAL HAM

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, honey, orange zest, 1/4 cup orange juice, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg. Season with salt.
• Roll out enough aluminum foil to surround the ham and place the ham in the center of the foil. Peel back the layers of the ham and place a sprig of thyme between every other layer of the spirals. Pour half of the glaze over the ham allowing it to sink into the slices. Tightly wrap the ham in the foil and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Fill the pan with an inch of water and roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes per pound.
• Pour the remaining half of the glaze in a small saucepot on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk until small bubbles appear all over, then turn off the heat. The glaze will thicken as it rests.
• Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the ham from the oven. Using caution and tongs to help, peel back the aluminum foil from the top, leaving the aluminum foil on the sides and underneath the ham to catch the glaze and juices. Slather the remaining glaze all over the top of the ham and place back in the oven uncovered for 15 more minutes. Remove and let rest before slicing.

SMITHFIELD HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Place ham on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Roast for 15 minutes per pound of ham (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
• Glaze according to directions.
• Garnish with grilled or roasted asparagus, fresh cut strawberries and fresh blueberries.
• Serve and Enjoy.

CONTEST-WINNING HOLIDAY GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep; insert a clove in each diamond. Bake, uncovered, 1-1/2 hours., Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small saucepan, combine pineapple juice, preserves, mustard and allspice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. , Spoon half of the glaze over ham. Secure pineapple slices and cherries on top and sides of ham with toothpicks., Bake 30-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 140°, basting twice with remaining glaze.

RITA'S SWEET HOLIDAY BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together the maple syrup, orange juice, ginger ale, brown sugar and honey. Stir in the juice from the maraschino cherries, and half of the cherries. Score the outer edge of the ham with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. Cuts should be about 1/4 inch deep. This will allow the ham to soak up the juice.
• Place the ham into an oven bag, and carefully pour the juice mixture over it, keeping all of the juice in the bag. It may look like there is too much juice, but the ham will soak it up while baking. Place the pineapples onto the top of the ham, and secure with toothpicks. Place cherries into the centers of the rings, and secure with toothpicks also. Tie the end of the bag closed with the ties provided, place in a large roasting pan, and cut a few small slits in the top of the oven bag.
• Bake the ham for 2 hours in the preheated oven. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F (80 degrees C) when done. Be sure not to touch the bone when taking the temperature. Remove ham from bag to a serving plate, and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

CHERRY PINEAPPLE HOLIDAY HAM GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat pineapple juice, cherry juice, and ham drippings in saucepan over medium/high heat.
• Stir in Brown Sugar until dissolved completely.
• Stir occasionally until bubbling.
• Add pineapple slices and cherries, continuing to stir over medium/high heat.
• Glaze is ready when thickened to the consistency of syrup.
• Pour hot glaze over ham and add pineapple slices and cherries as garnish.

HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Secure pineapple and cherries to ham with toothpicks. Combine brown sugar and seasoned salt; rub over ham. Gently pour pineapple juice over ham., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 140° and ham is heated through. Baste frequently with brown sugar mixture.

BOURBON, PINEAPPLE AND ORANGE GLAZED HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Using a sharp knife, score the ham into a diamond pattern about 1/4-inch deep and 1-inch apart.
• Stud the ham with whole cloves in the center of each diamond.
• Place ham fat side up in a shallow roasting pan (for easy clean-up line pan with aluminum foil, or use a heavy-duty disposable aluminum pan).
• Bake ham for 2 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, stir together the brown sugar, bourbon, orange marmalade, crushed pineapple, and prepared mustard. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Remove ham from the oven.
• Spoon half of the glaze/sauce over the ham.
• Decorate ham with pineapple rings, using a few toothpicks to hold ring in place. Place a cherry in the center of each ring, and attach it with a toothpick.
• Return ham to the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer ham to a platter and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving (be sure to remove all toothpicks).
• Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

HONEYDEAR'S HOLIDAY PINEAPPLE BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour 1 inch of water into a baking dish.
• Place ham flat-side down into the baking dish. Slice diagonal squares over the top. Insert cloves into the diagonal points.
• Combine pie filling, brown sugar, and mustard in a bowl, mashing the strawberries as you stir.
• Mix 2 tablespoons pineapple juice from the can with cornstarch in a separate bowl; add to the strawberry mixture. Stir; final texture should be fairly thick. Spread mixture over the ham. Pour remaining pineapple juice on top, taking care not to rinse off the glaze. Tent ham with aluminum foil to help retain moisture.
• Bake in the preheated oven, basting ham occasionally with the juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone reads at least 130 degrees F (54 degrees C), 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Anchor pineapple slices with toothpicks onto ham. Broil in the oven until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Remove ham from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing from the smallest end to the center.

GRILLED HOLIDAY HONEY HAM

Steps:

• Trim the ham of any excess fat, but leaving 1/4-inch of fat on the ham. With a sharp knife, score the fat on the top of the ham. Place the ham on a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cumin, ginger, mustard powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the dry rub mixture for the glaze. Season the ham with the remaining dry rub. Place plastic wrap over the ham and put it in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Allowing the seasoning to penetrate the ham overnight will give it a fuller flavor.
• Preheat your charcoal grill to 300 degrees F for indirect heat.
• Place the baking sheet with the ham on the grill grates, with the ham flat side down. Cover the grill and let the ham cook for 2 hours.
• Heat the butter, thyme, honey, vinegar, and reserved dry rub together in a medium saucepan until the butter melts. Stir together until smooth. Brush the ham with the glaze, cover with grill lid, and grill for 30 minutes more, basting the ham every 10 minutes with the glaze. Remove to a platter, let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve.

SMOKED HAM WITH SWEET HOLIDAY GLAZE

Steps:

• Season the ham with dry rub. Place plastic wrap over ham and put in refrigerator. Allow the seasoning to penetrate the ham overnight to give it a fuller flavor.
• Using indirect heat, preheat your grill to 250 degrees F. with hickory chips and charcoal.
• Place ham in an aluminum roasting pan and place on grill grates. Let smoke for 3 hours, making sure the temperature remains at 250 degrees F; adding more hickory chips and charcoal, as necessary. Remove to a platter.
• For the glaze:
• Place all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat. Allow to simmer, cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, until the glaze is syrupy.
• Pour the warm glaze over the warm ham and serve immediately.
• Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

SWEET POTATO-GREEN ONION PANCAKES WITH POACHED EGGS, HOLIDAY HAM AND PEPPER JAM

Steps:

• For the pancakes: Combine 4 cups cold water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt in a large bowl and stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the sweet potato and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain, then dump onto a large piece of cheesecloth and wring out as much water as possible.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together the eggs, onion and some pepper in a large bowl. Add the sweet potato and flour, and mix until combined. Fold in the green onions.
• Heat a few tablespoons each of butter and oil until shimmering in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using a scant 1/4 cup per pancake, add the sweet potato mixture to the pan, leaving some space in between. Flatten slightly and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, then transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
• For the eggs: Fill a high-sided skillet halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; add the vinegar. Line a plate with paper towels. Break each egg into a little ramekin or cup.
• One at a time, slip the eggs into the water, leaving space between them; adjust the heat to a bare simmer. Cook until the whites are set and the yolks still runny, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to paper towels to blot off the water.
• To serve: Put the pancakes on a serving platter. Top 4 of them with a smear of pepper jelly, a few slices of ham and a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Top with another pancake to make sandwiches (see Cook's Note).

APPLE-GLAZED HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2 hours., In a small saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Brush ham with some of the glaze; bake 30-60 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 140°, brushing occasionally with remaining glaze.

POST-HOLIDAY HAM STOCK

Steps:

• Gently simmer ham bone with carrot, celery, onion, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, and water in a large pot for 2 hours. Let cool and strain, discarding the solids.

GLAZED HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place the ham on a rack in a large roasting pan. Score the ham diagonally left to right, then right to left, to create a diamond pattern across the meat. Stud each diamond with a whole clove.
• Add a cup or two of water to the bottom of the pan, then bake the ham, uncovered, 25 minutes to the pound if it is ready-to-cook, about half that if it is ready-to-eat.
• Combine the mustard and the brown sugar in a bowl, then add the sherry to make a thick paste. Spread the mixture over the ham approximately 20 minutes before it is ready to remove from the oven, then bake until crust has formed.

MOLASSES GLAZE FOR HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Remove rind from ham and score the fat with a sharp kife, creating diamond shapes all over the surface.
• Stud ham with cloves (and pineapple & cherries, if desired- attach with either toothpicks or cloves).
• Place ham in roasting pan so that the wide flat cut side is down.
• Bake 2 1/2-3 hours for a whole ham, 1 3/4-2 hours for a half ham (or use the heating instructions provided on your ham wrapper, changing the cook temp if necessary as well).
• Mix dry mustard powder with the molasses and brush all over ham 30 minutes before the ham is done, returning ham to oven to contiune cooking at 325°F.
• TIP: Do not baste ham with pan drippings as this will make the glaze look dull.
• Once ham is cooked, let rest 10 minutes before carving.
• Do not eat the cloves- they provide flavoring as they bake, but should be discarded after cooking.

HOLIDAY BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, score surface of ham with 1/4-in.-deep cuts in a diamond pattern; insert a clove in each diamond. Bake, uncovered, 1-1/4 hours., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine preserves, butter and mustard; heat through. Remove ham from oven. Spoon preserves mixture over ham. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 140°.

HOLIDAY SPIRAL HAM AND LIMA BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place lima beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of water; soak 8 hours to overnight.
• Bring water, ham bone, and onion to a boil in a pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until onion is tender, about 1 hour.
• Drain and rinse lima beans and add to the pot with the ham bone. Add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, dry mustard, and salt. Simmer, covered, about 2 hours. Uncover and continue simmering soup until beans are tender, about 30 minutes more.
• Remove ham bone from soup; cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard bone and return meat to the soup.

LEFTOVER HOLIDAY HAM & SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Chop veggies and meat, then combine everything in a large stockpot -- going VERY EASY on the salt as your ham and bouillon might be salty enough already (you will test and add more later if needed).
• Stir, then bring to a boil over high heat.
• Don't walk away from the pot.as soon as it comes to a boil,stir, then lower the heat to low and drop a lid on the pot, venting just a bit for a few minutes so you don't have a boilover.
• As soon as the temperature drops enough to avoid a boilover (a few minutes), go ahead and let the lid sit fully on top of the pan.
• Let cook on low, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours,stirring once or twice, until all veggies are tender.
• Give the finished soup a taste test and adjust salt and other seasonings as needed.

SPICED HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Score ham; insert cloves in cuts. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 20 minutes per pound. Combine jelly, sugar, vinegar, mustard and cinnamon; brush half over ham. Bake 15 minutes. Brush remaining jelly mixture over ham. Bake for 15 minutes, basting occasionally, or until a thermometer reads 140°.