Monday, March 21, 2011

Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham

I went home this weekend for a very special occasion. My little sister got engaged and we had a little bash to celebrate. It was really a meet and greet for Katie's in-laws-to-be. We wanted them to know just what they were getting into with our extended family. We are a zany bunch. Obviously, I insisted on making dinner. Well, really I just served as sous chef to the OG of party throwing. My mother. She is a one woman party machine. We made an obscene amount of food and it turned out pretty darn great. The star of the table was this ham. It is slightly sweet with a hint of heat. Obviously mustard and ham are a natural match and the soft sweetness of apricots is a great compliment. The glaze cuts the inherent saltiness of the ham. Plus, there are only a few ingredients so we had more time to focus on more important things like putting out embarrassing childhood photos of my sister. The men folk who came were totally annoyed to be missing prime March Madness, so we needed to make something special for them that would ease the pain and this ham got us halfway there.
Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham
Ingredients:
1 6-7 lb. ham
32 oz. jar apricot preserves
2 Tbs. whole grain mustard
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1. To make your glaze, which you can do up to a day in advance, mix all of the ingredients (sans ham) in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once bubbling, turn the heat down low and allow the glaze to cook together for 8-10 minute until thickened. You want to keep an eye on it and stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the pan. Let it cool and reserve it in a dish until the ham is ready.3. Rinse the ham in cold water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Line a heavy-bottom pan with foil and bake the ham at 300 degrees for about 15 minute per pound. Since the ham is already cooked, you aren't cooking it now, just heating it through.
4. Take out the ham and turn the oven up to 425 degrees.
5. Spread the glaze evenly over the hot ham.
Doesn't it look good already?
6. Return to the hot oven for 15 minutes or until the glaze is baked in and crispy. We left it in a smidgen long, but I don't mind because I like it really crispy. No one even noticed!
The ham is amazing as is and even better when sneaking pieces from the fridge later.

3 comments:

  1. YUM. Can't wait to hear all about it! xo

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  2. is the heart shaped bowl mandatory??

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  3. If you are looking for a non-heart shaped bowl at my mom's house - you will be looking for a while!

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