Hamming it up ahead of Easter

With Easter right around the corner, I decided to cook up one of the hams in the freezer. I was thinking of this as a practice round, to make sure I get the flavors right should I bake up another for the holiday.

The ham I have is a locally produced one from a pig raised out here, so I wasn't entirely sure of what it would taste like, hence the practice round.

Upon applying heat to the meat, a heavenly smoky flavor wafted from the oven and filled the house with its heady aroma. I've not had that from a ham from the local megamart! A week ago I did cook up a ham, one of those water-added products you can find easily. It came out quite tasty too, so you could use either a water-added ham or a more natural one in the recipe below.

Most hams call for cloves of some sort. I don't really care for adding them to a ham, as they are very strongly flavored and seem to mask the flavor of the meat. Even a minute amount seems too much. Use them if you want, but remember that a little goes a long ways.

I baked my latest ham low and slow, meaning a very low temperature for a long time. My oven's lowest temperature setting is 170 degrees, but I didn't want to make this a multi-day ordeal. I set my oven for 225 degrees and then checked the temperature at regular intervals until it reached 145 degrees.

If you get a bone-in ham that isn't spiral sliced, the easiest way to slice it is to remove the bone first, after baking. Allow the ham to cool enough so as to not burn your fingers. Using a sharp knife, slowly slice through the connective tissues between the muscles of the ham to get to the bone and then carefully trim away anything attached to the bone. Now, grab a serrated knife and slice the ham as desired.

Precooked hams don't need to be reheated, though serving a cold ham at the dinner table might cause your culinary prowess to be questioned. Reheat to 140 degrees.

DAN'S PRACTICE HAM

• 1 bone in ham, about 4 pounds in size
• Minced garlic, as needed
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 12 ounces cola

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. In a large baking pan, place thawed ham wide end down. Place desired amount of garlic on top and sprinkle with onion powder. Pour cola into baking pan. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Remove cover and baste with liquid in pan. Continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, basting every time you check. Don't replace cover. Time to doneness will vary depending on the size of your ham.

I was asked to run this recipe again from a local reader who could not find her copy. Should I delete the cloves for this go-around? Would she notice?

EASTER HAM

• 1 (7- to 9-pound) ham, rind removed
• Whole cloves
• 1 pound dark brown sugar
• 1 (12-ounce) can Coca-Cola
• 1 (14-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained and juice reserved
• 1 cup sweet Concord grape wine
• 10 to 12 maraschino cherries
• Fresh bay leaves, for garnish

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp knife, score surface of ham crosswise and lengthwise about ¼ inch deep and 1 inch apart. Place 1 clove in the center of each square. Place ham, fat side up, in a double-layer disposable aluminum roasting pan. Pat the brown sugar onto the surface of the ham. Transfer to oven and bake until brown sugar just begins to melt, about 30 minutes. Pour Coca-Cola over ham, mixing with melted sugar in bottom of roasting pan. Baste ham with sugar mixture. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup reserved pineapple juice and wine in a small bowl.

HOLIDAY HAM GLAZE

• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 16 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
• Drippings from baked ham
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

In a saucepan, combine citrus zest and juices, corn syrup, and mustard. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add cranberry sauce and drippings. Heat through. Bring to just a boil. Combine cornstarch and water. Add to glaze. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Serve warm over ham.

FRUITY HAM GLAZE

• 1/4 cup cranberry orange sauce
• 1/4 cup apricot or peach preserves

Combine both in a small bowl. Thirty minutes before ham is done baking. Remove from oven, score top, and brush glaze over top. Return to oven. Baste occasionally before done.

ZESTY HAM GLAZE

• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• Dash ground cloves

Combine all in a small bowl. Thirty minutes before ham is done baking. Remove from oven, score top, and brush glaze over top. Return to oven. Baste occasionally before done.