Our Favorite Holiday Ham Recipe

This flavorful glazed ham was always on our holiday table. Mom would score the ham studding it with whole cloves. She'd arrange pineapple rings and cherry's on the top and glaze it while it cooked.

This is another of those dishes that was passed down through the family, no recipe. The closest recipe to ours is this Pineapple Glazed Ham from Epicurious. This recipe calls for a 14-16 lb. ham so if you cook a smaller ham like I do you can just halve the recipe.

My favorite use for the ham bone is to make this delicious Green Split Pea & Ham Soup from the Magic Pan Restaurant.

Please read my "Cooks Tips" following the recipe.


Pineapple Glazed Ham

1 smoked bone-in Virginia ham (14 to 16 pounds)
4 cups pineapple juice
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
12 to 16 whole cloves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup light-brown sugar
About 10 pineapple rings
About 10 maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine the ginger, and garlic and pineapple juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes, reducing the liquid by half. Strain the mixture and reserve.

Trim the thick rind and all but 1/4 inch of fat from the surface of the ham.

Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern and insert the cloves at the crossed points of the diamonds.

Place the ham in a shallow baking pan. Brush the mustard all over the top. Pat the sugar atop the mustard.

Decoratively arrange the pineapple rings, securing with cherries and toothpicks in the centers. Pour the reserved pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan and place in the oven.

Cooks Tips:

I use 2 cups of pineapple juice and 2 cups of fresh orange juice.

Baste every 15 - 20 minutes.

Bake per weight requirement:

A fully cooked ham, whole, bone in should cook 15-18 minutes per pound.

A fully cooked ham, half, bone in should cook 18-24 minutes per pound.

Let the ham rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve the pineapples, cherry's and sauce on the side.


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Christmas Recipes

Christmas Brunch Recipes

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Egg & Sausage Scramble
Grand Marnier French Toast
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Cake Recipes, Cookie Recipes, Pie Recipes

Christmas Dinner Recipes

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Italiano Meat Pie
Leg of Lamb, Creme de menthe
Pineapple Glazed Ham

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