Thursday, January 10, 2013

Company Baked Ham




LUCY BURDETTE: Key West is such a fun town--you never know what wacky event will turn up. On New Year's Eve day they hold their annual Dachshund parade, otherwise known as the Wiener Wonderland! I couldn't miss that, even with company coming for dinner. So I pulled out my simple but delicious recipe for baked ham.  

Yes, it's easier to order a spiral ham from the deli, but I promise you this ham is more tasty than most and not that much trouble either. It's ideal for a holiday centerpiece or even part of a party buffet--a Superbowl party would be a perfect venue.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 semi-boneless ham, 4 to 6 pounds
*generous handful of whole cloves
*several tablespoons of smooth Dijon mustard (I cannot swear to the results if you use the bright orange stuff that goes on hot dogs--see photo at top!)
*about 3/4 cup brown sugar
*1 6 oz can pineapple chunks in juice
*1/2 jar marmalade (I used orange, but peach would be nice too) 

Remove the casing from the ham and nestle it into a large baking pan. Score the fat/skin covering into artistic diamonds with a sharp knife. Push whole cloves into the diamond intersections so the ham is generously studded with cloves. 

Now spoon some mustard into a small bowl and with a knife or spatula, frost the studded ham with mustard, taking care not to dislodge your cloves. Next pat a layer of brown sugar all over, creating a mustard/sugar paste.

Now bake the ham for half an hour in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the pineapple in its juice and the marmalade in a small pan and heat on low until the marmalade dissolves. 

Then begin to baste the ham every 15 to 30 minutes with the pineapple mixture. (If you like, you could add a splash of rum to the pineapple, but I like it fine without.) Bake it for about an hour longer, then slice and serve--maybe with your favorite scalloped potatoes or even potato salad.

There will be lots of leftovers (unless you've invited the whole neighborhood!), so you'll be well-positioned for split pea soup, ham and cheese omelets, or a platter of Cuban sandwiches!

Did you know that the third Key West food critic mystery, TOPPED CHEF, is available for pre-order now? 

And please, while your ham is baking, don't forget to "like" Lucy on Facebook and follow her on twitter!

10 comments:

  1. Our supermarket offers up bins full of spiral-cut hams, but you have to hunt to find one in one piece. And will someone explain to me the different cuts of ham? Butt and shoulder? Top and bottom?

    The recipe sounds great (I'll try it the next time we cook a ham, which for two people is kind of a lot of meat).

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    1. I'm no expert on cuts Sheila! I just grab whatever looks good. And yes, it's a lot of meat. That's why I only make one if we're expecting a crowd...

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  2. Oh, mouthwatering post, Lucy/Roberta. Wish I had a slice of that ham for lunch today. Also wish I could have joined you for the Weiner parade...okay, I'm cracking up just typing that. :)) No kidding though, your photo is adorable; I love Dachshunds, and I would have loved that parade, too. Big hunks of roasting meat work for us in the winter, whether we have company or not, because we make good use of the leftovers. Great recipe here, lovin’ the ease of the mustard/brown-sugar flavor pack. Thanks for sharing and have a delicious rest of your week!

    ~ Cleo

    P.S. Sheila - I have a great link for you that shows the different cuts of pork meat. We use the pork shoulder for Pernil. The ham comes from the back leg/back end area. Strangely enough, "pork butt" does not come from the butt! More here: Click here for cuts of pork diagram and info

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  3. Thanks Cleo and thanks for meat cut tips. The funniest part of the parade was the great danes dressed as dachshunds, with hot dog buns and mustard. We cracked up. Gotta make a costume for Tonka the Australian shepherd next year--though he did march with the wieners!

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  4. I add some of my leftover ham to one of those sinful breakfast casseroles you see all over Pinterest... TOO fabulous for words. And too sinful to indulge in very often.

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  5. Love the ham - I have to try this technique. My family is crazy about ham for special occasions - this looks like such a treat.
    Love wiener dogs too and thank you for that great kick-off. Now Daisy and Lily want to go to Key West.

    MJ (mouth watering!)

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  6. I have only one question -- what time is dinner? Love, love, love this!

    ~ Krista

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  7. What a beautiful ham. I remember making this as a girl (almost exact same recipe). We were on a budget and couldn't afford the HB version. Yum!

    Daryl / Avery

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