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A partially carved mustard-glazed ham, cross-hatched and studded with cloves on a wooden cutting board.
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5 / 2 votes

Mustard-Glazed Ham

This mustard-glazed ham is covered with mustard, brown sugar, and maple syrup and is simple, subtle, and super impressive. And is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and any other holiday dinner (or insatiable pork craving).
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 35 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 432

Ingredients

For the mustard glaze

  • 2 tablespoons black or brown mustard seeds
  • 3 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey

For the ham

  • One (8-pound) bone-in smoked ham
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup whole cloves
  • 2 cups pure maple syrup, (not that Aunt Jemima crap)
  • 1/2 cup mustard glaze, (see preceding recipe or substitute Dijon mustard)
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the mustard glaze

  • In a jar, combine the mustard seeds, dry mustard, vinegar, salt, oil, brown sugar, and honey. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously. (Alternatively, you can simply whisk everything together in a bowl.) You should have about 1/2 cup. Stash the mustard glaze in the fridge until you're ready to use.

Make the ham

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place a roasting rack in a deep-sided roasting pan. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into the pan so it comes to just below the rack and about 1 inch deep.
  • Trim any gristle from the ham. If you're so fortunate to find a ham with skin on, be careful to keep the fat and skin attached. Place the plain ham on the rack, fatty side up, making sure the water doesn't touch the ham. Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer in the ham at a slight angle so the tip is in the center of the thickest part of the ham and doesn't touch either bone or fat.
  • Bake the ham, uncovered, for 45 minutes. 
  • Remove the pan and the ham from the oven. If your ham has skin, peel it back, keeping the fat intact. Score the fat, cutting 1/4-inch-deep strips on an angle to create a crosshatch. At the corners of each crosshatch, press a whole clove into the ham. You may not need all the cloves. (We're not gonna lie. This can take a little while. Pretend you're a Buddhist monk. Draw your attention to the task at hand in the moment in front of you and let yourself zen out.)
  • In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup and the mustard glaze. With a pastry brush, coat the clove-studded ham with about 1/2 the mustard and maple glaze. 
  • Return the ham to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes more. 
  • Remove the pan and the ham from the oven a second time. Coat it with the remaining mustard glaze. 

    ☞ TESTER TIP: Remember, cured ham is already essentially fully cooked pork, so you're simply rewarming it. No danger in serving it slightly cool in the center if the rest of dinner is done.

  • Remove the ham and pan from the oven a last time. Loosely cover it with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the glaze, and let stand for 10 minutes before transferring to a platter and carving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 2967mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g