Skip to main content
Epicurious

Holiday Ham, Three Ways

By Rhoda Boone

5.0

(4)

Sliced glazed ham with diamond scoring pattern on a platter.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone

Here's a foolproof base recipe and three delicious ways to dress up your holiday ham. Don't forget to save the bone for a fabulous soup! And remember, if you're not feeding a huge crowd, you can easily halve this recipe for a smaller ham. If this is your first time making ham (or you need a refresher) see our guide to cooking ham for the holidays.

Cooks' Note

Country Dijon is a rustic blend of Dijon and whole grain mustard.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 hours

  • Yield

    Serves 16-20

Ingredients

For the ham:

One 12-14-pound cured and smoked bone-in ham, preferably with a layer of fat

Choose Tangy Peach Mustard:

1 1/2 cups peach preserves
1 cup Dijon mustard (preferably country Dijon)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
4 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)

Or choose Sweet and Spicy Jerk:

1 1/2 cups hot pepper jelly
3/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons finely grated garlic
3 tablespoons finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons whole allspice, crushed
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Or choose Smoky BBQ Maple:

1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

For serving:

Biscuits or soft dinner rolls
Spicy Honey Mustard
Pickles

Special Equipment:

A roasting pan with rack

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F, with the rack in the lower third of oven. If your ham has a layer of fat, use a sharp paring knife to score the fat in a diamond crosshatch pattern, about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep.

  2. For Tangy Peach Mustard Ham or Sweet and Spicy Jerk Ham:

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients of your choice. Brush all over ham (reserving some glaze for basting while cooking).

  3. For Smoky BBQ Ham:

    Step 3

    Brush the ham with maple syrup (reserving some syrup for basting while cooking). Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl, then rub all over ham, pressing into syrup to adhere.

  4. Step 4

    Position roasting rack in roasting pan; pour 2 cups water into pan and place prepared ham on rack. Cover pan with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove pan from oven, remove foil, and brush ham with reserved glaze or maple syrup. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

    Step 5

    Return ham to oven uncovered. Bake until glaze has caramelized and the ham's internal temp reads 135°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the middle of the ham (avoiding bone), brushing with more glaze or syrup if desired, 40 minutes to 1 hour more.

    Step 6

    Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with biscuits or rolls, mustard, and pickles.

  5. Do Ahead

    Step 7

    Glazes can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Rub (without maple syrup) can be made up to 1 month in advance and kept at room temperature.

TagsHamMeatMainDinnerGluten FreeNut FreeDairy FreeRoastChristmasThanksgivingEpicurious

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
Moo Ping (Thai Grilled Pork Skewers)
This version of pork skewers is made in the oven, which tastes just as good, but you could always throw these on the grill for a version closer to the original.
Slow-Smoked Chicken
An espresso-and-cumin-spiked rub (or brine) gives this smoked chicken impressive flavor.
Crispy Baked Wings With Berbere Honey Glaze and Fried Garlic
Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.
Jammy Grape Galette
We don’t bake with grapes as often as we should. But even the most average supermarket varieties come alive when roasted with a bit of sugar and seasoning.
Grape Dumplings
Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.
Chicken Croquettes
Rather than breaded and fried as you might expect croquettes to be, these are something more akin to a seared chicken salad patty.
Chipotle-Citrus Ribs
Tender, well-glazed, and just spicy enough, these ribs are the ultimate grill-out food. Cook fully in the oven ahead of time and finish them on the grill.