Baked Limerick Ham Serves Many Recipes

BAKED LIMERICK HAM (SERVES MANY)

Steps:

• For an Alcohol-free version, substitute a 50/50 mixture of apple juice and water for the cider.
• Cover the ham with cold water and bring slowly to the boil.
• Drain the water and replace it with the cider and return the ham to just before boiling.
• Reduce the heat and keep the liquid barely simmering for 20 minutes per pound of ham.
• (A 5-lb. ham is simmered for 1½ hours.) Remove the kettle with the ham from heat and allow to stand in the liquid for 30 minutes.
• Remove the ham from the liquid, skin it and score the fat with a sharp knife in a criss-cross, or diamond pattern.
• Stud the ham with whole cloves at the points where the cross-cut pattern intersect.
• Mix the brown sugar and mustard together and rub well into the surface of the ham.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven for an additional 10 minutes per pound at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• (A 5-lb. ham should be baked 50 minutes.) Serve warm with plain boiled potatoes and brussels sprouts.
• Oh, and a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey (optional).

BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Ham labeled "Cook Before Eating"
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. For a whole 10- to 15-pound ham, allow 18 to 20 minutes per pound; for a half--5 to 7 pounds--about 20 minutes per pound; or for a shank or butt portion weighing 3 to 4 pounds, about 35 minutes to the pound. In all cases, cook uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. For an attractive, quick finish, remove the ham from the oven about 30 minutes before it is done and glaze as directed below.
• II. Ham labeled "Fully Cooked" or "Ready to Eat"
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. To heat the ham, place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and bake uncovered. For a whole ham, allow 15 to 18 minutes to the pound; for a half, 18 to 24 minutes per pound. The ham will be ready when the internal temperature reaches 140°F. To glaze the ham, remove it from the oven about 30 minutes before it is done, and increase the oven heat to 425°F. Remove all the rind but a collar around the shank bone. Slash the fat in the top of the ham in a diamond pattern, and cover the surface with brown sugar, dry mustard moistened with cider vinegar, prune juice, wine or ham drippings.
• Stud the fat at the intersections of the diamonds with whole cloves. Or decorate with alternating half pineapple rings studded with cranberries and stars cut from preserved orange peel.
• Return the ham to the oven, reduce the oven heat to 325°F again, and cook about 30 minutes. Place on a platter. Garnish with: Slices of jellied cranberry sauce topped with thin orange or pineapple slices.

BAKED HAM WITH BROWN SUGAR & MUSTARD GLAZE

Steps:

• Place the raw ham in a large, clean bucket. Add enough water to cover and soak overnight, or up to 24 hrs ahead, changing the water twice.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Drain and place the ham in a large roasting tin, cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 hrs.
• Remove the ham from the oven and turn the heat up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the rind off the ham, leaving about 1-2 cm of fat; cut a diamond-shaped pattern into this. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and mustard, then rub all over the ham. Roast for 30 mins until the ham is tender and the outside nice and sticky.
• Bring to the table on a large platter lined with bay leaves. To serve, cut 1cm-thick slices off the ham to go alongside the rye bread, pickles and mustard sauce (Make your own sauce with our recipe below).

BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place ham in a roasting pan, and press whole cloves into the top at 1 to 2 inch intervals. Pack the top with a layer of brown sugar. Pour enough water into the bottom of the roasting pan to come to a 1 inch depth. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.
• Bake for 4 1/2 to 5 hours in the preheated oven (about 22 minutes per pound), or until the internal temperature of the ham has reached 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Make sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Let stand for about 20 minutes before carving.

EASY BAKED HAM STEAKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and cloves in a baking dish. Arrange ham steaks in baking dish, coating with sugar mixture. Add more water as needed to cover ham.
• Bake in preheated oven until ham is tender, 35 to 45 minutes.

BAKED GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the ham on a wire rack or trivet set over a large roasting tin, pour in 480ml warm water and cover tightly with foil. Put the ham in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for 5 hrs.
• Meanwhile, put the maple syrup, apricot jam and brown sugar in a heavy-based pan and stir in 50ml water. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Take the ham out of the oven. Increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Open the foil, being careful of the hot steam. Remove the rind from the ham by inserting a sharp knife under it at the opposite end to the knuckle bone, gently lifting it away from the fat (try to keep as much fat on the leg as possible so that it will protect the ham and stop it drying out).
• Decorate the ham by scoring the fat with a knife to make large diamond shapes, taking the knife from one corner to the other, then making parallel scores 4cm apart. Repeat in the opposite direction. Put a clove in the corner of each diamond. Brush the ham with the sugar mixture, pushing it into the scores with the brush.
• Return the ham to the oven, placing it back on the trivet over the water. Bake for a further 45 mins until deeply coloured. Serve hot or cold. Will keep in the fridge for up to one week.