Baked Ham With Brown Sugar Maple Syrup Glaze

Since ham is cured by smoking it can be eaten cold however once heated and brushed with a glaze it makes a great centerpiece for a celebration meal.

Heating the ham all the way through will take 1 ½ - 2 hours for a 6 - 8lb ham. If the ham is sliced it needs to be heated wrapped in foil to avoid drying out.  If the ham is not sliced it can be heated, covered or uncovered at a low temperature in convection. Convection is ideal for heating ham since the heat penetrates the food from the edge to the center, therefore it is less drying. However if the ham is uncovered, basting it every 40 minutes or so will give better results.

Ingredients

1 smoked ham, 7 - 10 lbs. sliced or unsliced

2 cups fresh apple cider

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup maple syrup

4 oz unsalted butter

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Preparation

Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, maple syrup and butter in a heavy 2 qt saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced and the glaze is syrupy. This will take approximately 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard.

Heat the oven in the Convection or Convection Bake mode to 325 degrees. Place the ham on a rack in a shallow pan and if the pan is not sliced, score it lightly in a diamond pattern. Brush the skin generously with the glaze and place in the oven, covered. 

Set the timer for 40 minutes and brush with the glaze again. Repeat the process one more time. After the ham has baked for 1 ½ hours, remove the foil, glaze one more time and continue heating for another 30 minutes.

Allow the ham to rest before slicing.