Mellow Mustard Ham

My family legit obsesses over this recipe.  But it’s not so much a recipe as it is a suggestion. Why?  Because there are no measurements.

Sidenote:  Can we chat about the year I bought a spiral ham and used the seasoning package to go with?  Talk about a family teetering on the edge.  It was YEARS ago and THEY ARE STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT IT.  Blah.  Blah. Blah. We don’t know what she was thinking.  Blah.  Blah.  Blah. 

So yeah, every year I make my ham the exact same way, cuz god forbid…

1 cooked ham (there are literally a million types to choose from)*

A handful whole cloves

1 Tbsp The Everything Spice**

14oz. yellow mustard

Brown sugar

1 20oz tin pineapple slices

Small jar maraschino cherries

*Note:  Make sure you think about how many people you are cooking for (and how much they like ham) when determining size.  I use a cooked ham because I haven’t discovered the added value (yet) of a fresh one (or if you can even get one here).  There are no rules.

** Note: I am dying to try The Stardust on my ham (I think it would be amazing) but because of the psycho family, I haven’t as yet.  This may be the year.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Rinse ham and pat dry.  Place in a pan deep enough to catch the juices (cut side down).  Stick cloves in all over about an inch or two apart (but really I don’t measure.  I just stop once I’m over it.)  Season lightly all over with The Everything Spice.  Cover with foil.

Cook in oven (or on grill over indirect heat) according to package instructions, generally 10 minutes per pound.

While it’s cooking, make the sauce. 

The big secret is that it is just mustard and brown sugar combined.  So simple right?  Maybe not.  The trick is to season it to taste. You want it to be sweet but not too sweet and mustardy but not too mustardy. 

I usually start with almost all of the mustard.  (I like to leave a little just in case I make it too sweet, then I can always add more mustard.  This doesn’t usually happen tho).  Add about a half cup of sugar, stir well and taste.  Keep adding sugar until you get to a taste you LOVE.  Not like.  LOVE.  You will probably need to taste it a couple times.  After you make this once you will want to put it on everything.

About a half hour before the ham is done (or sometime before serving), attach the pineapple slices with a cherry inside each one and drizzle with the glaze.  Save some of the glaze for serving.  Continue to cook (or reheat) uncovered.

Remove the cloves and pineapples for serving and decorate the plate with the pineapple.  Drizzle with remaining glaze.