Spicy Cherries Jubilee Ham

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Start to Finish: 5 Hours 5 Minutes 16 to 20 servings

1 Heat oven to 275°F. Line roasting pan with foil. Remove skin from ham; trim fat to ¼-inch thickness. Make shallow cuts in fat 1 inch apart in diamond pattern. Place ham in roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of ham and does not touch bone or rest in fat. Add broth to pan.

2 In 2-quart saucepan, stir together preserves, brandy, vinegar, 3 tablespoons mustard, the honey and pepper; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly reduced. Cover and refrigerate half of cherry mixture until serving time. Brush ham with half of the remaining cherry mixture.

3 Place pan on lowest oven rack. Bake 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes or until thermometer reads 140°F, brushing with remaining cherry mixture every 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

4 Serve ham with mustard and reserved cherry mixture. Garnish with cherries and sage.

1 Serving: Calories 390; Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 2220mg; Total Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 37g Exchanges: 2½ Other Carbohydrate, 5 Very Lean Meat, 1½ Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2½

Quick Fix

Baked Ham with Balsamic–Brown Sugar Glaze

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Start to Finish: 1 Hour 55 Minutes 10 servings

  • 1 fully cooked smoked bone-in ham (6 lb)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic or cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon ground mustard

1 Heat oven to 325°F. Place ham on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of ham and does not touch bone or rest in fat.

2 Bake uncovered 1 hour 30 minutes or until thermometer reads 140°F. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Brush mixture over ham during last 45 minutes of baking. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

1 Serving: Calories 320; Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 2000mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 34g Exchanges: 1½ Other Carbohydrate, 5 Very Lean Meat, 1½ Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1½

Festive Touch Try a different glaze instead of the Balsamic–Brown Sugar Glaze. For Apricot-Bourbon Glaze, mix ½ cup apricot preserves, 2 teaspoons ground ginger and ¼ cup bourbon or pineapple juice. For a Sweet-Spicy Glaze, mix ½ cup honey, 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce and 1 clove garlic, finely chopped.

Festive Touch For a unique and beautiful garnish, arrange fresh kumquats, figs and fresh sprigs of sage and rosemary around the ham on the serving platter.

Kitchen Secrets If you like, score the fat side of the ham diagonally at 1-inch intervals, cutting ¼ inch deep; score in the opposite direction to form diamond shapes.

Kitchen Secrets Here’s how to carve a bone-in ham beautifully. Place ham, fat side up with bone facing you, on carving board or platter. Cut ham in half next to bone. Turn boneless half of ham fat side up; cut slices. Cut slices from bone-in half, cutting away from bone.