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Years ago, I was desperate for honey baked ham and found a copycat recipe online. I started using it as it had a great review (sorry don’t have the link anymore). Since then, I added my own tweaks based on my location, available ingredients and personal tastes. However, this is in high demand every time the family come round and the juices make an amazing sweet gravy glaze for the ham afterwards.

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 20-40 minutes

Cook time: Varies

• 5–7 pounds: 25–30 minutes / pound
• 10-14 pounds: 18-20 minutes / pound
• 15-18 pounds: 15-18 minutes / pound

Glaze time: 1 hour

Preheat oven: 350° F | 180° C

Ingredients:

• 10 – 14 pound ham
• 1 cup pear juice
• 1 cup orange juice

Directions – to cook ham:

1. Soak ham for a minimum of 24 hours replacing the water at least twice
2. Mix Pear and orange juice in a bowl and set aside
3. Rinse ham under cool running water. Pat dry, and place on a rack, rind side up, set in a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil.
4. Pour juice mixture over ham
5. Bake, uncovered in a 350 degree-oven following cooking time guide (3 to 3 1/2 hours for an 11-pound ham), or until a meat thermometer inserted in center of the ham registers 140 degrees F basting every half hour (add more juice as necessary)

Glaze Ingredients:

• Ham juice drippings (drained of fat)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• Whole Cloves

Directions – to glaze:

1. While ham is cooking, mix ½ cup honey and ½ cup brown sugar, heat to make glaze
2. When ham is cool enough to handle, cut off the hard rind, using kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
3. With a sharp knife, slice off most of the fat, leaving a 1/4-inch–thick layer covering the meat; the trimming does not need to be even all over.
4. Score fat on top of ham in a pattern of 1-to-2-inch diamonds, cutting 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch deep. Insert a whole clove into the intersection of each diamond
5. Brush fat with glaze (reserving about half), working it into the scored lines. Using your hands, pat additional brown-sugar all over ham. Return ham to oven.
6. Baste ham: Brush sugar coating with some of the remaining glaze mixture and fat free juice drippings. Baste every 15 minutes until the ham is brown and crusty, making sure to baste quickly so the oven temperature doesn’t drop.
7. Cook ham until the internal temperature reads 160° F
8. Transfer ham to a carving board, and let cool for 30 minutes
9. Drain drippings of fat again and add cornstarch slurry mixture to thicken it into a gravy glaze over heat to serve with the meat
10. Poor remaining amount of brown sugar/honey glaze over the ham and then use a kitchen torch to caramelize the crust.

Prepare to be amazed!

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