Pineapple Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• 1 smoked bone-in Virginia ham (14 to 16 pounds)
• 4 cups pineapple juice
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
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• 12 to 16 whole cloves
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup light-brown sugar
• about 10 pineapple rings
• about 10 maraschino cherries

Directions

Combine the pineapple juice, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes, reducing the liquid by half (to 2 cups). Strain and reserve. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully trim the thick rind and all but 1/4 inch of fat from the surface of the ham. With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern and insert the cloves at the crossed points of the diamonds. Set the ham in a shallow baking pan. Brush the mustard all over the top. Pat the sugar atop the mustard. Starting at the butt end, decoratively arrange the pineapple rings, securing with cherries and toothpicks in the centers, working toward the bone. Pour the reserved pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan and place in the oven.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes. When the ham is done, place it on a serving platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices, beginning at the butt end. Serve warm with pan sauce alongside. Remove the pineapple slices and cherries as you carve and serve them with the ham.

Jackie from MA