Recipes/Cooking/Baking

Holiday Baked Ham

This is Meredith Laurence's recipe, with a few tweaks.
I bake it flat side down (as recommended on the ham package) in an oven bag, to keep it moist and prevent splatters.
It is both beautiful and delicious!
The amount of au jus is plenty for a 10 lb ham—both to put some in the bag, and have at the table.

MAKE THE AU JUS:
(This can be made the day before, and refrigerated.)

1½ cups apple cider
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed, if possible)
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 Tb orange zest (use a zester on orange peel)

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove from heat.

ABOUT 4 HOURS BEFORE EATING, PREPARE THE HAM:
bone-in ham (the amount of au jus above is sufficient for a 10 lb ham)
1 orange
whole cloves
disposable aluminum pans (use two, one inside the other, since the ham is heavy)
oven bag

Score the ham (skin only—not the flat end) with crosshatch marks (as in the video).
Attach thin orange slices over entire non-flat surface with whole cloves and wooden toothpicks.
Shake about 1 Tb flour in the oven bag.
Carefully place ham, flat side down, in the oven bag in the disposable pan (see photo above).
Pour about ¾ cup au jus over ham, covering all exposed surfaces.
Slit and seal the bag (as per oven bag instructions).
As needed, refrigerate until time to put in oven.

ABOUT 3 HOURS BEFORE EATING, PUT HAM IN OVEN:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake for about 15 minutes per pound (10 lb ham: 150 minutes = 2.5 hours).
When an instant-read thermometer registers about 140°F, it's done.
(Check about 30 minutes before you think it should be done—ovens cook differently.)
Open the bag and let the ham rest for about 15 minutes, to cool slightly.
Remove the ham to a large cutting board.
Remove the orange slices, cloves, and toothpicks.
Save the orange slices for decorations on the ham platter and on individual plates.
Cut the ham as in this video (2:16) and place slices on an oven-proof platter.
Cover the platter with foil and put in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Mix the refrigerated au jus with all the juices from inside the oven bag.
Re-heat in microwave (as needed) and put in a small pitcher (something like this) to pour over ham at the table.