Description
This festive Christmas Ham recipe features a tender spiral-sliced bone-in ham glazed with a sweet and tangy mixture of orange juice, brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon. The ham is baked to perfection and finished with a luscious homemade glaze, garnished with fresh orange zest, pomegranate seeds, and parsley, making it a perfect centerpiece for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Ham
- 1 ham (spiral sliced bone-in, 9-12 pounds)
Glaze
- 2 cups orange juice
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Garnish
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 Tbsp parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the ham.
- Prepare Ham: Remove the ham from its packaging. Discard most of the liquid but reserve about 1 cup for cooking.
- Position Ham: Place the ham cut side down in a large baking dish or roasting pan and add the reserved packaging liquid to the dish.
- Make Glaze Base: In a large bowl or measuring cup, combine the orange juice, brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon, mixing well.
- Apply Initial Glaze: Pour half of the glaze mixture evenly over the ham, keeping the remaining half for later.
- Bake Ham: Place the ham in the preheated oven and bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours, calculating approximately 20 minutes per pound until cooked through.
- Prepare Glaze: During the last hour of baking, start preparing the glaze by pouring the reserved half of the orange juice mixture into a large pot or deep pan.
- Heat Glaze: Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil, then reduce to medium-low heat.
- Simmer Glaze: Whisk constantly to prevent boiling over, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened to a syrupy consistency.
- Cool Glaze: Remove the glaze from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Remove Ham: Once the ham is cooked through, carefully remove it from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.
- Glaze Ham: Pour the thickened glaze all over the ham, covering it evenly.
- Garnish: Sprinkle the ham with fresh orange zest, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley for color and flavor contrast.
- Serve: Carve the ham into slices and serve warm, perfect for festive gatherings.
Notes
- Cooking time is approximately 20 minutes per pound; adjust based on the exact weight of your ham.
- Reserve packaging liquid to add moisture during baking and enhance flavor.
- Constant whisking of the glaze prevents it from burning or boiling over.
- Use fresh pomegranate seeds and parsley for the best garnish effect.
- Allow the glaze to cool slightly before pouring to avoid runoff.
