Glazed Baked Polish Ham

Ingredients

1  10-15 pound whole ham with the bone in

1 ½ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons ground cloves

¼ cup white or rosé wine (orange juice, cider, or Calvados work as well)

2 cans pineapple slices, drained

1 pint fresh raspberries (pitted fresh cherries or maraschino cherries  are great too!)

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. 

Place ham in a shallow roasting pan preferably on a rack and add one cup of liquid (wine, water, or broth) to keep ham moist. 

Bake uncovered, basting the ham every 30 minutes.  If the liquid evaporates, add more.

Allow 15-18 minutes of cooking time per pound.

Cook until your ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 °F.

While the ham is cooking, make the glaze by putting all the ingredients into a bowl and mixing together until a paste is formed.

30 minutes before the ham is done, remove it from the oven.

Depending on how much fat is on the ham, you may want to remove some of it.

Score the outside of the ham in a diamond pattern and apply the glaze to the exterior.

Garnish with canned pineapple rings attaching them with toothpicks.

Return the ham to the oven and cook the final 30 minutes checking internal temperature.

Remove the ham from the oven; decorate with raspberries in the center of each pineapple ring.

Allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves:  Allow 1/3 pound per person. 

Wine: Rosé, Chenin Blanc or a fruity red such as Syrah or Grenach are also good pairings with ham.

NB: Save the bone for pea soup!