Bunny's Secret Mormon Family Recipe™ Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham

It's EASTER, and nothing says Easter like Ham. Why? I have no idea and no one I have asked has the answer, but Ham it is!
For this recipe we turn once again to Bunny and one of her secret Mormon family recipes.

Half hams were on sale at Rock 'n Roll Ralphs, just 88 cents per pound. I couldn't remember whether to get the Butt half (more rounded) or the Shank half (more pointy) - but the butcher said go with the Butt - less bone, more meat.

The ingredient list is pretty simple; first, the Apricot Mustard Glaze:

1- 12.75-oz. bottle apricot preserves

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mush it all together. If it’s too thick, heat it briefly in the microwave to thin. You may need to half the recipe if you are baking a smaller ham - mine was 8 pounds and the amount was perfect.

Next, for the Baked Ham....

The important things here are 1.) make sure the ham is at room temperature before you bake it, and 2.) bake it covered tightly in foil to keep it juicy.

Remove the ham from its packaging. Place two 24-inch-long pieces of foil crisscrossed in an appropriate sized baking dish. Place the ham cut side down at the center of the pieces of foil. Brush or spread half of the Apricot Mustard Glaze over the ham. Bring up the ends of the foil and wrap the ham tightly. Let it stand at room temperature for 1½ hours.

Note: If you are baking a very large ham, you may need to use three pieces of foil to completely enclose the ham

Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 300°. Bake the ham until the center registers about 100° on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of your ham (approximately 17 minutes per pound).

Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450°. Roll back the foil to expose the ham. Brush the ham generously with the glaze (reserving some glaze for later), then return it to the oven until it is golden brown and the glaze is bubbly, about 30 or 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze. Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for another 30 or 40 minutes before carving.

There you have it!!

Of course, we had this meal yesterday, with Au Gratin potatoes (from a box) and asparagus. AFTER I bought my ham, we were invited up to the "Baker Ranch" for Easter Brunch with Joerg, Robbie, Jerry, and a group of friends, so for our Easter meal we enjoyed Pork Roast with delicious gravy garnished with mushrooms and carmelized carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Asparagus, and a "rum pot" of fruit marinated in rum for 4 months, served with ice cream AND whipped cream.

Ah, happy Easter.