Baked Ham with Horseradish Cream

View Instructions

Serves:

16 to 20
(or 8 to 10 +leftovers)

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

4 hours

Category:

Mains

Introduction

About this Recipe

Recipe from Set for the Holidays
Appetite for Random House, 2018

When I was growing up, the ham went into the oven earlier on Christmas morning than I would to get up and open gifts. It was likely the smell of the ham baking that coaxed me out of bed, rather than the thought of getting the gifts I had asked for. These days, I bake a whole ham for the leftovers. Once I’ve had as many sandwiches as I can manage, the rest gets diced up and frozen in small containers—it’s a great staple ingredient for many meals

Ingredients

Ham

6.6 to 8.8 lb (3 to 4 kg) bone-in smoked ham or picnic pork shoulder (see helpful hint below)
1/2 cup (125 mL) apple juice or apple cider
1/2 cup (125 mL) water

NOTES: All the work goes into a ham before you put it into your grocery cart. However, do buy a good one, and if you are cooking for someone with gluten intolerance, be sure to check that the ham is gluten-free (some cured meats are not), and check that the mustard you use is as well.

Horseradish Cream

1 cup (250 mL) crème fraîche or full-fat sour cream
1/2 cup (125 mL) Prepared Horseradish or store-bought
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
Grainy mustard, for serving (optional)

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

Step 2

For the ham, remove and discard any netting before placing the meat in a roasting pan. Score the top of the ham (parallel lines or criss cross, if you wish), right through the fat. Pour the apple juice (or cider) and water into the bottom of the pan and bake the ham, uncovered and basting occasionally with the juice, for about 4 hours, until it reads 170°F (77°C) on a meat thermometer. Set aside.