This sweet and spiced orange marmalade glaze gives this classic holiday ham a fun and fruity alternative to the standard honey or brown sugar ham. This unique twist creates a beautifully thick and wonderfully tasty sticky glaze that complements the salty elements of the ham without over powering the ham in anyway. This tasty main dish is simply amazing served for any occasion, Easter, Christmas or just because! This classic ham pares well with other festive holiday favorites like green bean casserole or stuffing as well as variety of potato dishes and other tasty veggie sides. No need to worry about leftovers, as these taste amazing when added to breakfast casseroles like our yummy  Slow-Cooker Breakfast Omelet Casserole or sliced thinly for sandwiches with a side of crunchy pickles or even some of your favorite chutney! Or serve leftovers with my grandfather’s favorite twist, lightly toasted in a cast iron pan with a side of farm fresh eggs!

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Ever wonder why Americans’ serve ham at Easter? Unfortunately, as with many topics these days, if you look long enough you can find someone promoting almost any explanation you want no matter how absurd! The two most logical answers I found can be summed up with two words: practicality and economics. The first story is based on northern Europe and dates from the fall of the Roman Empire. Wild boar was common in these areas and a preserved ham, stored from harvest time butchering, was one of the few meats reliably available in the spring. Since ham is what the ladies had to cook for the holiday, ham is what the families ate. Over time, the serving of ham at Easter became a holiday tradition, and this custom was then transferred to America by immigrants from this region.

The other explanation deals with the decline of the wool trade in America. As the use of synthetic fibers in America increased in the 1900’s, the market for wool decreased and therefore less farmers raised sheep for market. With less local availability of spring lambs, the cost of a leg of lamb by the 1950’s had surpassed the price of ham, making ham the choice of the frugal American housewife. (The problem with this explanation is like the differences between dairy and beef cattle, sheep bred for wool are not typically the variety used for mutton.) Either way, one has to agree that serving a specially prepared ham at Easter showcased both the hostesses’ culinary talent and practicality.

I chose to use a fully cooked ham because is takes away the stress of dealing with raw pork
and just leaves the fun of adding both unique and timeless flavors. I prefer a bone-in ham for two reasons: 1. It is typically less processed than the molded boneless hams and 2. It gives the added benefit of creating another scrumptious and tasty meal with the ham bone, like a quick and easy ham bone bean or potato soup.

Ingredients:
Fully cooked ham of your choice
3/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
The juice and pulp of 1 orange
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed) Your preference of light or dark.
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup water (for steaming)
4 cloves garlic minced and smashed (A morter and pestel works great for this)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

I used a spiral sliced ham, but feel free to use any precooked ham of your choice. If using an uncut ham I recommend cutting it lightly on the surface in a diamond shaped crosshatch pattered to better allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. You can also add whole cloves for added flavor and decoration by inserting one at each diamond or create another unique pattern of your choice. From the visual aesthetics angle, I find this technique works better with non-spiral-cut hams.

Place your chosen holiday ham in either a roaster or other large broiler safe baking pan, with 1 cup of water in the bottom. This helps to keep your ham moist and prevent the drippings from burning. Cover with either a lid or aluminum foil. The length of time necessary to thoroughly warm your holiday ham is dependent on the size/poundage of the ham. Since a fully cooked ham is just that—cooked, you are concerned with warming the ham rather than cooking it. On average you will need to plan approximately 15 minutes per pound. For added safely I recommend checking the ham with a meat thermometer. After all nobody likes biting into a piece of cold ham (unless you are expecting cold cuts) or an over-cooked thoroughly dried out one! Ideally, the internal temperature you want to reach, is between 125°F and 140°F with most sources leaning toward the latter. I use the thermometer from Amazon shown below. It makes achieving the perfect holiday ham a breeze for the busy mom or aspiring cook. The easy hand held monitor fits neatly in my apron pocket letting me keep track of my ham’s internal temperature without having to open the oven or stop what I’m doing to check on it continually

Note when using a meat thermometer you want to place the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, but don’t want it touching the bone otherwise your reading will not be accurate.

While your holiday ham is cooking you will want to start making your spiced orange marmalade glaze. This glaze comes together easily and effortlessly. Simply combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula to combine. Once it has reached a simmer, cook for about 15 minutes allowing the glaze to reduce slightly. Stir continuously to prevent the mixture from sticking and scorching. Slow simmering helps blend and incorporate all the flavors together for a fuller more complex taste, so don’t rush it. Remove pan from the heat and allow glaze to completely cool. I told ya this orange marmalade ham glaze was easy! 😉

When the internal temp is around of your holiday ham is about 118°F-120°F, (typically this takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours), remove the lid/foil and carefully brush on your marmalade glaze. Continue adding a little more glaze to your ham about every 15-20 minutes, until your ham reaches an internal temp of 140°F. If using a spiral ham try and get the spiced glaze in between the slices for additional flavor and wholesome deliciousness!

Once your holiday ham has reached it’s final temperature it’s time to give it a crispy finish. Give your ham one generousness final coating of orange marmalade glaze. Now jump your oven up to broil just until the ham just starts to achieve a beautiful crispness on the edges. You will need to watch it very closely at this stage and remove the ham if it starts to smoke. You goal is to add a little color and crispness to the edges in addition to helping to set the spiced marmalade glaze more thoroughly. Cooking your ham this way lets you achieve the best of both worlds. You get the fully concentrated flavors, juiciness and glossiness of a slow cooked ham while still achieving the beauty of crisp browned edges for the best in both taste and visual appeal.

Once your holiday ham has finished cooking and reached an internal temperature of 140° F, remove it from the oven and let rest for minimum of 10 minutes before carving.

Ever notice that the cut of meat you place in the oven looks smaller after it’s done? That is because meat shrinks as it cooks. At internal temperatures up to 120° F the protein is said to shrink only in width, but at temperatures higher than 120° F the protein begins to shrink in length as well. This literally squishes the moisture out of the muscle fibers! The moisture in either pushed toward the surface where it evaporates or toward the center where is has a tendency to flood your platter when cut. When the meat is rested, the muscle fibers relax and the displaced water is reabsorbed, giving you a moist, juicy slice of meat.

America’s Test Kitchen did an experiment with pork loins cooked at 400°F to an internal temperature of 140°F. They discovered that a simple ten minute rest resulted in a 60% reduction in moisture loss, while a 90% decrease was possible with a 40 minute rest. The loins were reportedly still warm enough to serve even after the 40 minute rest (1).

Resting Time Amount Of Liquid Lost
0 minutes 10 Tablespoons
10 minutes 4 Tablespoons
20 minutes 2.5 Tablespoons
30 minutes 1 Tablespoon
40 minutes 2.5 teaspoons

Now it’s time to simply serve and enjoy your timeless classic holiday ham!

Enjoying fun flavors that make life just a tad bit sweeter, the Homesteading Hen

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Notes:

1. Letting Meat Rest After Cooking: How It Works & Why It Makes Your Barbecue Better.
https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/letting-meat-rest-after-cooking/