Pineapple Guava-Glazed Christmas Ham

INGREDIENTS:

6-lb semi-boneless ham

2 cups water

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup guava preserves

½ tsp mustard powder

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp pimento seeds/allspice berries

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 cup pineapple juice

Leaves of 2 thyme sprigs

Leaves of 1 rosemary sprig

½ tsp black pepper

Dash of salt

2 tsp cornstarch

Dressing:

Cloves

Pineapple slices

Maraschino cherries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Unpackage and rinse the ham, then pat it dry. Add it to a baking dish with 2 cups of water. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours (or 20 minutes per pound).

2) To a saucepan, add the brown sugar, guava preserves, mustard powder, 1 tsp cloves, pimento seeds, grated ginger, pineapple juice, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, and salt. Stir and bring to a low simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and continue to simmer stirring occasionally for 10 more minutes or until the glaze begins to thicken.

3) Remove the ham from the oven, and drain the liquid from the pan, reserving a few tablespoons. Reset the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Score the ham by cutting series of shallow lines across it, creating a pineapple design. Stick the ham all around with cloves, then pour half of the glaze over it. Dress the ham with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries in the center, securing with toothpicks. Baste the ham, then put it back in the oven uncovered for about 20-30 minutes or until colored to your liking, basting every 10 minutes with the glaze from the baking dish.

4) Make a cornstarch slurry using 2 tbsp of the reserved ham liquid from the first bake and stirring in 2 tsp of cornstarch. Stir the slurry into the remaining glaze in the saucepan to thicken it even more. Pour it all over the finished ham, then slice to serve.

Have a Merry Christmas!