Ham Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Remove ham from refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting to come toward room temperature. Line a large roasting pan with foil for easier cleanup; place a rack in the pan.

Score and arrange

If ham is not spiral-sliced, score the fat in a 1/2-inch diamond pattern. Place the ham, cut-side down if spiral-sliced, on the rack. Tuck pineapple rings around or on top of the ham and secure each ring with a toothpick; press a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring.

Add liquid and tent

Pour 240 ml water or low-sodium chicken broth into the bottom of the pan (this keeps the ham moist). Tent the ham loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven.

Roast

Bake until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 125–130°F (52–54°C) for fully cooked hams being heated through, or 140°F (60°C) if manufacturer recommends — about 10–12 minutes per 450 g (1 lb). For a 1 kg ham plan roughly 25–30 minutes before glazing. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone.

Prepare glaze

While the ham roasts, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp orange zest and 60 ml orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted and sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Optional thickening

If you prefer a thicker glaze, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the simmering glaze and cook 30–60 seconds until glossy and thickened. Remove from heat.

Glaze and finish roasting

About 20–25 minutes before the ham is done (or when internal temp reaches about 115–120°F / 46–49°C), remove the foil tent. Brush a generous layer of glaze over the ham, covering pineapple rings and exposed surface. Return to oven, uncovered. Baste with additional glaze every 7–10 minutes until glaze is sticky and ham reaches the target internal temperature (125–140°F depending on manufacturer guidance). Watch closely to avoid burning the sugar; if glaze darkens too quickly, loosely tent again with foil.

Rest

Remove ham from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest 15–20 minutes — this helps juices redistribute and makes slicing easier.

Slice and serve

If spiral-sliced, separate slices along natural cuts. If not, slice across the grain to desired thickness. Arrange on a serving platter with glazed pineapple rings and reserved pan juices spooned lightly over the meat. Serve warm.