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Ingredients
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Ham
Pineapple & Sweet Onion Glaze
Finishing
Method
Ham
Prepare ham
Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Remove ham from packaging and discard any glaze packet. Place ham, flat side down, in a roasting pan on a rack. Pat dry with paper towels.
If ham has a rind, score the surface in a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep, spacing cuts 1 to 1.5 inches apart. Stud each diamond intersection with a whole clove, pressing cloves in so they are secure. This is optional but traditional and adds flavor.
Tent ham loosely with foil and bake until internal temperature reaches about 120–125°F (49–52°C) for a fully cooked ham to reheat (allowing for finishing glaze). For a 1 kg ham this will take approximately 45–60 minutes; larger hams require more time. Remove from oven 20 minutes before finishing to apply glaze.
Pineapple & Sweet Onion Glaze
Make the glaze
While ham bakes, combine pineapple juice, drained crushed pineapple, light brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, minced sweet onion, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat.
In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold water until smooth to make a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering glaze and continue to cook 1–2 minutes until glaze thickens slightly. Remove from heat and season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity by adding more honey or vinegar if desired. Keep warm.
Finish & Glaze
Glaze the ham
Remove the foil tent from the ham. Brush a generous layer of the warm pineapple-onion glaze over the ham, getting into scored crevices. Arrange pineapple rings on top of the ham, securing each ring with a toothpick if needed, and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring.
Return the ham to the oven, uncovered. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for another 15–20 minutes, basting once or twice with additional glaze, until the glaze is shiny and slightly caramelized and the ham temperature reaches 130–135°F (54–57°C). Watch closely to avoid burning the sugars; if edges begin to darken too much, loosely tent with foil.
Remove ham from oven and let rest on a cutting board for 10–15 minutes before carving. Spoon any remaining glaze from the pan into a small saucepan and warm briefly to serve alongside the ham.