This Orange Spiced Glazed Ham is sure to delight and dazzle your holiday guests

122023.F.FF.LOSTITALIAN.1.jpg — Simple, savory and so delicious, this Orange Spiced Glazed Spiral Ham is a showstopping centerpiece that is guaranteed to dazzle and delight your guests this holiday season.

By Sarah Nasello

December 20, 2023 at 7:28 AM

FARGO 鈥� Our son, Giovanni, has just returned home after completing his first semester of college, and we are celebrating with a variety of Christmas feasts from now through the holiday, featuring some of his favorite home-cooked specialties. This week鈥檚 recipe for Orange Spiced Glazed Ham was inspired by a recent shopping trip at Target, where I found hickory-smoked spiral hams on sale for 99 cents per pound.

A baked ham is an easy and affordable way to bring the 鈥渨ow factor鈥� to your holiday table, especially when it is priced at under a dollar a pound. I have always wanted to make a spiral ham, so I snatched up a 10-pounder and started planning the menu for last Sunday鈥檚 family dinner.

122023.F.FF.LOSTITALIAN.2.jpg — Sarah glazes the entire ham with a combination of seasonal flavors: brown sugar, Dijon mustard, honey, orange zest, spices and orange juice.

A spiral ham is an impressive, bone-in ham that has a large section carved into thin slices but is still baked as a whole piece to ensure a dramatic presentation. Spiral hams come fully cooked, so all you need to do is reheat it until it is hot through the center, which takes about 10 to 14 minutes per pound, depending on your oven (a regular non-spiral ham will also work).

Many hams come with a packet of prepared glaze, but I always make my own so I can control the flavor and quality. To reflect the flavors of the season, I glazed this spiral ham with a blend of brown sugar, orange zest and juice, Dijon mustard, honey, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

122023.F.FF.LOSTITALIAN.3.jpg — Sarah brushes the entire surface of the ham with the Orange Spiced Glaze, making sure to reach into the crevices of the spiral slices.

Before baking, I brushed half of the glaze over the entire surface of the ham, working it into the crevices of the spiral slices so it could infuse the meat with flavor as the ham baked. I used the other half of the glaze to continue basting the ham throughout the baking process until the crust was dark brown and richly caramelized.

I also poured a small amount of orange juice into the pan to prevent the sugary glaze from burning into the bottom of the pan and added quarters of fresh orange studded with whole cloves for flavor and fragrance. I baked my 10-pounder for about two hours, until it was at least 135 to 140 degrees in temperature.

I served this Orange Spiced Glazed Ham with ham gravy made from the drippings, as well as crisp and creamy and a sweet and sour with a fabulous whole-grain mustard vinaigrette. These side dishes are among my family鈥檚 favorites, and they were the perfect complement to the savory and salty succulence of the spiral ham.

122923.F.FF.LOSTITALIAN.4.jpg — The spiral slices make serving easy and add a dramatic flair to the presentation.

While some of us may have preferred thicker slices of meat, we were all in agreement that the spiral slices allowed the glaze to fully infuse the meat, and not just the crust, with terrific flavor. Plus, we now have leftover ham that is perfect for use in sandwiches, salads, omelets and quiches throughout the week.

Simple, savory and so delicious, this Orange Spiced Glazed Ham is a showstopping centerpiece that is guaranteed to dazzle and delight your guests this holiday season.

From our family to yours, we wish you a very merry and delicious Christmas!

122023.F.FF.LOSTITALIAN.5.jpg — For a perfect blend of flavors, Sarah serves the Orange Spiced Glazed Spiral Ham with Chive and Cheddar Duchess Potatoes and a sweet and sour Apple Spinach Salad.

Orange Spiced Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

1 (8- to 10-pound) bone-in spiral ham (regular ham also works)
1 cup brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
录 teaspoon ground cinnamon
录 teaspoon ground cloves
录 teaspoon ground ginger
Orange juice or water for the bottom of the pan

Directions:

Remove the ham from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for an hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Unwrap the ham and place it in a baking dish or roasting pan.

In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, honey, mustard and spices until well combined. The glaze should be runny enough to fall from a spoon in ribbons, but not thin.

Brush the entire surface of the ham with half of the glaze and save the rest to use later.

Bake the ham in the lower third of the oven for one hour. Remove from the oven and brush with half of the remaining glaze; repeat after another 30 minutes and then increase the temperature to 350 degrees.

Bake the ham until the crust is richly dark brown and caramelized and the meat is heated through to at least 135 to 140 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with a piece of tin foil and let the ham rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Leftovers can be refrigerated and enjoyed for several days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

The Nasello family wishes you a very merry and delicious Christmas and holiday season (pictured left to right: Tony, Giovanni and Sarah Nasello at the University of Notre Dame).

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By Sarah Nasello

鈥淗ome with the Lost Italian鈥� is a weekly column written by Sarah Nasello featuring recipes by her husband, Tony Nasello. The couple owned Sarello鈥檚 in Moorhead and live in Fargo. Readers can reach them at sarahnasello@gmail.com.