The Ultimate Mustard-Glazed Ham: A Classic Holiday Centerpiece
Prepare to impress your guests with this exquisite **mustard-glazed ham**, a dish renowned for its perfect balance of sweet, savory, and subtly spicy notes. Coated generously with a luscious brown sugar and maple syrup glaze, this recipe delivers a tender, juicy ham that’s surprisingly simple to prepare yet leaves a lasting impression. It’s the quintessential centerpiece for any festive gathering, be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or simply a hearty family dinner satisfying an undeniable craving for succulent pork.
Why This Mustard-Glazed Ham Recipe Stands Out
This isn’t just another glazed ham recipe; it’s a culinary experience that cleverly marries sweet, spicy, and salty flavors into a harmonious delight. The genius behind this method lies not only in the tantalizing final product but also in the savvy technique used to achieve it. As developed by Renee Schettler Rossi, the ham is first slathered with its flavorful glaze and then roasted over a pan of hot water in the oven. This innovative approach ensures several key benefits:
- **Unparalleled Moisture:** The simmering water creates a humid environment within the oven, preventing the ham from drying out and ensuring it remains incredibly moist and tender.
- **Deep Flavor Infusion:** As the glaze gently drips into the hot water, the evaporating steam carries the essence of mustard, brown sugar, and maple syrup, infusing the ham with an aromatic depth that permeates every fiber of the meat. This subtle, continuous basting from below builds layers of flavor that a simple top-glaze cannot achieve.
- **Perfectly Caramelized Crust:** The initial baking allows the glaze to adhere, while subsequent applications and higher heat steps caramelize the sugars, creating that irresistible, glistening crust.
Furthermore, since most hams available are cured and essentially pre-cooked, you’re primarily reheating the ham to a safe temperature while enhancing its flavor profile, making this recipe wonderfully forgiving with no tricky food safety concerns.
The Rich Tradition of Holiday Ham
Serving a grand ham has long been a cherished tradition in many cultures, especially during major holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Its impressive size, rich flavor, and relatively straightforward preparation make it an ideal centerpiece for family gatherings. Historically, ham was a symbol of prosperity and celebration, often cured to preserve it through leaner months. Today, it represents warmth, comfort, and the joy of coming together. This mustard-glazed ham recipe honors that tradition, offering a modern twist on a timeless classic that is sure to become a staple at your festive table.
Choosing the Perfect Ham for Glazing
The foundation of a magnificent glazed ham begins with selecting the right cut. For this recipe, an **8-pound bone-in smoked ham** is recommended, as the bone adds extra flavor and moisture during cooking. When purchasing your ham, consider these points:
- **Bone-in vs. Boneless:** Bone-in hams generally offer a richer flavor and often stay moister. Boneless hams are easier to carve but can sometimes be drier.
- **Smoked or Unsmoked:** Most hams in stores are pre-cooked and smoked, which is ideal for this recipe. If you opt for an unsmoked (fresh) ham, ensure you adjust cooking times significantly as it will require full cooking, not just reheating.
- **Shank vs. Butt End:** Shank hams (the lower part of the leg) are leaner and have a single bone, making them easier to carve. Butt hams (the upper part of the leg) are fattier and have a T-bone, which can be trickier to carve but offer more flavor.
- **Size Matters:** An 8-pound ham typically serves 12-16 people, depending on other side dishes. Adjust your ham size according to your guest count.
- **Look for a Fat Cap:** A good fat cap is crucial for rendering down and contributing to a juicy, flavorful ham. Some hams also come with skin, which can be peeled back for scoring, though finding one is increasingly rare.
Mustard-Glazed Ham FAQs
What is the difference between light and dark brown sugars?
Brown sugar is essentially white granulated sugar with molasses added back in. The key distinction between light and dark brown sugar lies in the amount of molasses they contain. Dark brown sugar boasts about twice the molasses content of light brown sugar. This higher molasses concentration gives dark brown sugar a deeper, richer caramel flavor and a moister texture, making it ideal for robust dishes like barbecue sauces, baked beans, and spiced cakes where that intense flavor is desired. Due to the inherent acidity in molasses, dark brown sugar can sometimes react with baking soda in recipes, potentially affecting the rise or spread of baked goods. For everyday baking, like cookies or light cakes, light brown sugar is usually the preferred choice. When a recipe simply states “brown sugar,” it almost always refers to light brown sugar. If dark brown sugar is specifically required, the recipe will explicitly state “dark brown sugar.”
What should I serve with this delicious ham?
A perfectly glazed ham deserves an array of complementary side dishes. Our absolute favorite pairing is creamy, cheesy scalloped potatoes, which provide a rich counterpoint to the ham’s sweetness and spice. For Easter, we insist on having soft, fluffy dinner rolls – perfect for tucking in slices of ham with a dollop of butter or extra glaze. To balance the richness, a vibrant, light, and slightly mustardy spring salad with a shallot vinaigrette is a refreshing addition. Other fantastic vegetable sides include fresh roasted asparagus, tender green beans almondine, or delightful easy candied carrots. Don’t forget dessert! The possibilities are endless, from classic coconut cakes and lemon pies to festive kulich or light angel food cake. Choose what delights you most!
Can I prepare the mustard glaze in advance?
Absolutely! Preparing the mustard glaze ahead of time is a fantastic way to streamline your holiday cooking. You can make the glaze up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavors will actually deepen over time, making it even more potent when you’re ready to apply it to your ham. Just give it a good shake or whisk before use, as the ingredients may separate slightly.
What are some great uses for leftover mustard-glazed ham?
Leftover ham is a gift that keeps on giving! Beyond classic ham sandwiches, consider dicing it for a hearty ham and bean soup, a cheesy quiche, or a comforting breakfast hash with potatoes and eggs. It’s also excellent in frittatas, omelets, or as an addition to mac and cheese. For a lighter meal, toss cubed ham into a fresh salad, or create flavorful sliders with Hawaiian rolls and a little extra glaze. Don’t forget the ham bone, which can be used to make an incredibly rich stock for future soups!
Mustard-Glazed Ham
This mustard-glazed ham, covered with a sweet and tangy blend of mustard, brown sugar, and maple syrup, is simple yet incredibly impressive. It’s the ideal choice for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any special occasion demanding a flavorful and juicy ham.
Recipe by David Leite
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Print Recipe
Mains
American
12
servings
432
kcal
25
minutes
2
hours
35
minutes
3
hours
Ingredients
For the Mustard Glaze
For the Ham
Instructions
Make the Mustard Glaze
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In a clean jar, combine the mustard seeds, dry mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, mild vegetable oil, dark brown sugar, and honey. Securely screw on the lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are well combined. Alternatively, you can simply whisk everything together in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. You should yield approximately 1/2 cup of glaze. Store the prepared mustard glaze in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it for the ham. This can be made several days in advance.
Prepare and Bake the Ham
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Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Place a sturdy roasting rack into a deep-sided roasting pan. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil on the stovetop. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, ensuring it fills to approximately 1 inch deep and comes to just below the rack. This water will create the essential humid environment for a moist ham.
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Inspect your bone-in smoked ham and trim away any excess gristle. If you are fortunate enough to find a ham with skin on, take care to keep both the fat cap and skin attached at this stage. Position the plain ham onto the roasting rack, ensuring the fatty side is facing upwards. Confirm that the water in the pan does not touch the ham itself. Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, positioning it at a slight angle so the tip is in the center and does not come into contact with either bone or fat.
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Bake the ham, uncovered, for an initial 45 minutes in the preheated oven. This step gently warms the ham and prepares it for glazing.
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Carefully remove the roasting pan and ham from the oven. If your ham has skin, gently peel it back, making sure the underlying fat remains intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat cap by making shallow cuts, about 1/4-inch deep, in a crosshatch pattern. At the intersection of each crosshatch, press a whole clove into the ham. This process can be meditative; approach it with patience and precision. You might not need to use all of the cloves suggested; use your judgment based on the size and appearance of your ham.
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In a small bowl, combine the pure maple syrup with 1/2 of the prepared mustard glaze. Whisk thoroughly until well blended. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the clove-studded ham with approximately half of this luscious mustard and maple syrup glaze, ensuring an even layer over the entire surface.
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Return the glazed ham to the oven and continue baking, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes. This allows the first layer of glaze to set and begin to caramelize.
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Remove the pan and the ham from the oven for a second time. Apply the remaining mustard and maple glaze mixture generously over the ham with your pastry brush, ensuring full coverage for that spectacular finish.
☞ TESTER TIP: Remember, cured ham is already essentially fully cooked pork, so you are primarily rewarming it to a safe internal temperature (typically 140°F or 60°C). Don’t fret if the very center feels slightly cooler than the edges; it’s perfectly safe to serve slightly cool in the middle, especially if the rest of your holiday dinner is ready.
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Remove the ham and roasting pan from the oven for the final time. Loosely cover the ham with aluminum foil, creating a tent so the foil does not touch or stick to the glistening glaze. Allow the ham to stand and rest for 10 minutes. This resting period is crucial, as it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in an even more tender and succulent ham. After resting, transfer the ham to a serving platter and carve.
Adapted From
The Vermont Country Store Cookbook
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 portion
Calories: 432 kcal
Carbohydrates: 43 g
Protein: 39 g
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 109 mg
Sodium: 2967 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 35 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Insights from Our Recipe Testers
Our dedicated recipe testers put this mustard-glazed ham to the ultimate test, sharing their invaluable experiences and tips:
Helen Doberstein
Helen, who admits to not being a big ham enthusiast, was genuinely converted by this recipe. She found it “simple, easy to follow,” producing a “nicely seasoned ham that’s both tender and moist.” Her 9-pound (4.37 kg) ham, which she brought to Thanksgiving dinner, was “the star of the show,” displacing the usual turkey. She noted its impressive tenderness and juiciness, a stark contrast to dried-out hams she’d encountered before. Helen recommends making this again for Christmas and Easter.
Practical notes from Helen: she found it challenging to source a ham with both a fat cap and skin, opting for one with just a fat cap. She also used only about half the suggested cloves for her ham, finding it sufficiently covered. While the homemade mustard glaze was “quite loose and spicy,” it thickened slightly overnight. She found the maple syrup and mustard glaze mixture produced a significant amount of sauce; next time, she would halve the quantity for glazing, despite using all of it as instructed. Her 9-pound ham successfully fed 12 people, leaving minimal leftovers.
Trista Smith
Trista reported immense popularity with her friends and family after serving this mustard-glazed ham. She used an 8-kg (approximately 17.6-pound) ham, noting it could easily serve 12 to 20 people depending on side dishes. The glaze, though “quite thin,” coated the ham beautifully, resulting in a “really nice finish.” She praised the extra sauce served alongside for its sweet and sharp flavor. Friends were eager for the recipe, already planning to incorporate it into their own holiday menus.
Trista meticulously placed 72 cloves onto her ham with “very small cross-hatching,” which was significantly less than the recipe’s suggested half-cup. She estimates her prep time for the ham was only 15 minutes, with another 15 minutes dedicated to carefully applying the cloves and glaze. Despite the show-stopping results, she found the process to be “not very labor intensive at all.”
Larry Noak
Larry, a seasoned cook, declared this mustard-glazed ham “a solid contender for as fine a holiday ham as I have ever made.” He affirmed it was “the perfect ham,” promising its presence on his own Christmas table. He appreciated the recipe’s “straightforward affair,” finding it incredibly easy to prep.
For Larry, the most time-consuming yet rewarding part was “pinning the gorgeous clove pattern,” which always instilled a “wonderful sense of accomplishment,” elevating an “average ham from Grandma’s holiday treasure!” He observed that his 8-pound ham required nearly 2 1/2 hours of baking, longer than the 90 minutes mentioned in the original instructions, suggesting that cooking times can vary based on the ham’s initial temperature and oven calibration.