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A roasted fresh ham on a platter with roasted carrots and a bottle of red wine in the background.
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4.91 / 11 votes

Roasted Fresh Ham with Maple-Spice Glaze

This roasted fresh ham with maple-spice glaze is slowly cooked and infused with flavors of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and maple syrup. It's a centerpiece-worthy entree, perfect for any holiday gathering.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time5 hours
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 to 14 servings
Calories: 648

Ingredients

  • One (8- to 10-pound) bone-in fresh ham, preferably from the shank end, any rind removed
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Fire the oven up to 325°F (160°C). You want at least 3 inches of space between the top of your ham and the element at the top of your oven.
  • Put the Dickensian joint in a large sturdy roasting pan, preferably one that’s shiny enough to reflect lots of ambient heat.
    A fresh ham roast in a braising dish.
  • Mix the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl.
    A person mixing spices in a bowl.
  • Smooth the spice mixture all over the ham’s external surface, working it down into some of the crevices but being careful to avoid any deep-tissue massage.
    A person rubbing spice blend all over a fresh ham roast.
  • Cover the whole kit and caboodle with aluminum foil, slide it in the oven, and leave it alone for 3 1/2 hours while you go do whatever it is you do when a big, sweating hunk of meat is roasting in your oven.
  • Peel off the aluminum foil. Baste the ham with about half the maple syrup using a basting brush.
  • Continue roasting the ham, uncovered this time, basting every 15 minutes or so with more maple syrup as well as any pan drippings, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone registers 170°F (77°C), about 1 1/4 hours more.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If the ham starts to singe or turn too dark, tent it loosely with foil, uncovering it at the end to get it back to crunchy-crisp.

  • Move the ham to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving it into slices.

Notes

  1. Removing the skin--If your fresh ham comes with a rind or any skin attached, you'll need to remove it with a sharp knife before roasting.
  2. Pan juices—When the ham is done, there will be marvelously sweet-spicy pan elixir. Don’t toss it. De-fat it, if you wish, and serve it with the ham.
  3. Storage--Leftover ham can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
  4. Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 102g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 457mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 11g