How to Cook Cdog's Holiday Ham with Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze

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Ham makes a great holiday meal. It's easy to cook and leftovers, if any, can be used for sandwiches, ham salad, or flavoring vegetable dishes.

Step 1

First select the type of ham that you want to cook. It can be a spiral cut, butt section or shank section. I prefer the shank because I feel that it has a better flavor. If using a spiral, you need to cover the ham with foil while cooking to prevent dryness.

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Step 2

Prepare the ham by removing all wrappings. If using a shank cut, remove the plastic covering the bone at the large end. Wash thoroughly.

Step 3

If using cloves, slice the top of the ham in a criss-cross pattern, leaving 1-inch "diamonds." Press a clove into each diamond.

Step 4

Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. I like to add 2 cups of water in the pan to keep the ham moist while roasting. Add additional water as needed. This also helps with cleanup later.

Step 5

Roast the ham at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound. For example, a 10 pound ham should take 3 hours and 20 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, cook until the ham reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

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Step 6

Prepare a brown sugar glaze by combining brown sugar with pineapple juice. I usually use the juice from the canned pineapple rings. Fifteen minutes before completion, remove the ham from the oven and baste with the brown sugar glaze. Using toothpicks, attach a maraschino cherry to the ham and then place a pineapple ring over the cherry. Repeat until the top of the ham is covered. Baste the pineapple/cherry rings. Return the ham to the oven and cook for the remaining 15 minutes.

Step 7

Remove the ham from the oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Carve and serve.

Warning

To avoid burns, use oven mitts when removing or returning the ham to the oven.

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