Maple Syrup Spice Ham

Dec 12, 2011
Andrea Mehaffie

Christmas Tree - Andrea Mehaffie

This ham is sure to bring the warmth to your Holidays.

Maple Syrup Spice Ham

This ham recipe combines old fashioned flavor with bright new flavors that combine nicely. They work together to bring out the flavors of the ham rather than competing. This recipe is very flexible. Many of the ingredients can be substituted, but be sure to only add ingredients that won't overpower the subtle salty, smoky flavors of the ham.

Ingredients:

1 3-5 lb. Ham (fully cooked)
1/4 c. Maple Syrup
1/2 c. Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 c. Orange Juice (preferably fresh)
approx. 10-20 whole cloves
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper
1/4 t. Chili Powder
1/4 t. Cinnamon
1/4 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Place the ham in an oven safe dish (must have sides so the juice doesn't spill over) and leave out for about half an hour, allowing the meat to come to room temperature. With a knife score the outer part of the ham about a fourth of an inch thick.
In a microwave safe bowl combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, and orange juice. Stir well. Place in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds. Make sure the sugar does not burn!
Remove the bowl and stir the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. If necessary, place the bowl back in the microwave in ten-second intervals until the sugar is dissolved, creating a sauce.
Add the spices to the hot sauce, mixing it thoroughly.
Pour the sauce onto ham. Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the ham. Make sure the sauce settles into the score marks so the juices really seep into the ham.
Once the sauce has been added place the cloves into the score marks. Make sure they are secure so that they will stay in place while baking, allowing the ham to absorb the flavor.
Loosely cover the ham with tin foil and place in the oven for approximately 30- 45 minutes. The ham is already cooked it really just needs heated.
Remove the foil 15 minutes before the ham is done, allowing the sauce to brown and turn into a crust. If there is a lot of liquid at the bottom of the pan, consider smearing it on the ham allowing it to absorb more flavor.

Substitutions:

The orange juice can be substituted with lemon or lime juice. The acid is what’s important.
The dark brown sugar can be substituted with any brown sugar, but if you want a rich flavor use dark brown sugar.
This recipe is meant to have some leeway. Nothing needs to be measured exactly (except for maybe the spices since they are pretty strong). Play around with it and make it your own.

Enjoy! Best served with a nice Marsala wine and some buttered green beans.

Andrea Mehaffie - Andrea has recently graduated from the University of Tampa with her degree in Writing and minors in literature and art history. She is ...