Recipe: Glazed Christmas Ham

GLAZED CHRISTMAS HAM

1 (10-pound) smoked ready-to-cook ham, shank portion
1 cup coarse-grain mustard
1 cup cinnamon-sugar*
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place ham on a shallow roasting pan and add 1/8 inch water to pan. Cover ham with foil and bake 15 to 16 minutes per pound for a total of about 2 hours and 40 minutes. (Adjust cooking time if you ham is less than 10 pounds.)

After 2 hours and 15 minutes, remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 450 degrees F.

Pour off most of fat from pan. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, remove the rind, except for area around shank bone, and most of the fat. Score the fat by cutting diagonal slashes across the skin to make a diamond pattern. Cover the surface thickly with mustard, then heavily coat with cinnamon-sugar, patting down if necessary. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Return to oven for 25 minutes, until sugar melts and hardens. It will become a bit crackly.

Present on a large platter, decorated as desired. Carve and serve while hot.

*You can buy cinnamon-sugar or make your own by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.

Makes 12 servings
Source: Christmas 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold