SPICE-RUBBED HAM

Now this is a ham—it’s sweet and smoky, with just the right amount of cloves and ginger.

—Sharon Tipton, Winter Garden, FL

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Prep: 15 min. • Bake: 3 ¹/₄ hours + standing • Makes: 24 servings

1 fully cooked semi-boneless ham (8 to 10 pounds)

¹/₂ cup spicy brown mustard

¹/₄ cup packed brown sugar

¹/₄ teaspoon ground ginger

¹/₄ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whole cloves

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ¹/₂ in. deep. Combine the mustard, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon; rub over surface of the ham. Insert a clove in the center of each diamond.

2. Bake ham, uncovered, at 325° for 1 ¹/₂ hours. Cover and bake 1 ³/₄-2 hours longer or until a thermometer reads 140°. Discard cloves. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

HOW TO CARVE A SEMI-BONELESS HAM

When setting up your slicing station, don’t crowd into a too-small area. We suggest a large cutting board at a normal working height, with space to shift your slices and plenty of elbow room.

• A semi-boneless ham has one bone running through it. Arrange the ham on the board with the pre-cut side down and the bone perpendicular to the board. Pierce a carving fork into the top corner of the meat—out of the way of the knife but deep enough to hold the meat stable. Use a sharp knife with a long, thin blade to carve along the bone.

• Carve the boneless section into vertical slices. Set the slices on a serving plate and tent with foil.

• Place the remaining section of meat on the board. Insert the carving fork next to the bone. Make horizontal cuts through the meat up to the bone.

• Slice vertically along the bone. This will cut off the horizontal slices, which will fall onto the board. Transfer them to the serving plate.

TEST KITCHEN TIP

Is scoring the ham worthwhile? It is! Scoring opens up the fatty outer layer of the ham, allowing the glaze to penetrate the meat.