Main Dishes
Baked Ham
Description
This glazed baked ham recipe is easier to make than you think! A white wine marinade makes it extra flavorful, perfect for a holiday meal.
Ingredients
- 1 spiral cut ham 9 to 12 pounds or half ham (5 to 7 pounds)
- 1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc
- 1 recipe Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze or glaze of choice
Directions
- Check the ham for a plastic removal disk on the bone; if it has one, remove it now. Use a thin, sharp knife to score crosshatch cuts all over the top and sides. Place the ham in a large bowl or ziptop bag. Add the wine and cover the bowl or seal the bag. Let marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight, flipping the ham a few times so it marinates evenly. (If you want to reference the cooking times on the ham package, snap a picture before you toss it.)
- When ready to cook, let the ham stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Calculate how long to bake the ham at 12 minutes per pound (or according to package instructions), then subtract 20 minutes and make a note of the time (ex: a 10-pound ham at 12 minutes per pound is 120 minutes. Subtract 20 minutes and your time is 100 minutes—that’s 1 hour and 40 minutes).
- Remove the ham from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place in a large roasting pan, flat-side down and cover tightly with foil. Bake for the amount of time you calculated in the step above. While the ham bakes, prepare the glaze.
- Twenty minutes before the ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven. Increase the oven's temperature to 425°F. Uncover the ham and slather it all over with the glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the glaze looks nice and caramelized and the ham has reached 140°F on an instant read thermometer. It's already cooked, so you're just looking for it to be heated through—don't overcook or the ham will be dry; depending upon the shape of your ham, you may need a little more or less time. (I typically remove the ham at 135°F as its temperature will rise as it rests). Remove to a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes, then serve. While the ham rests, use the juices to make Ham Gravy if you like.
