This is a classic 50’s housewife Easter dish. This is how my mom, Cherri, always made our Easter Ham. This recipe is easy with a beautiful presentation and wonderful flavor.
Remove excess skin, if desired. You want to leave about 1/4 inch of skin around it. Score the skin by slicing through it in a cross cut pattern.
Rub brown sugar all over the ham. Then, place a clove in the cross cuts and make sure they are evenly distributed across the ham.
Using toothpicks, secure the pineapple rings around the ham. And then, using toothpicks, secure the maraschino cherries.
Place in a roasting pan. You can either put water on the bottom of the pan to prevent the bottom of the pan from burning. Or, you can let it burn and just layer the bottom of the pan with tin foil. (Water is best)
Bake at 300 degrees for about 3 hours for a 12 pound pre-cooked ham, or until the ham reaches 140 degrees. If you have a fresh uncooked ham, you will need to cook it longer and make sure the ham reaches a minimum temperature of 145 degrees. You can turn the oven up for the last 30 minutes to help it brown.
Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove the pineapples and cherries and place them in a bowl to serve with the ham. Remove the cloves and discard. Then slice the ham and enjoy!
Since my mom has passed, we have made ham without any fuss/muss. This year, I asked my father to help me make ham the way my mom used to make it. It was pretty close to what I thought it was and I am so thankful that my Dad was around to remind me of the little details that I had forgotten (like how to arrange the cherri inside the pineapple).
My friend Michele had Easter dinner with us, and she couldn’t believe that the ham tasted just like the one her mom used to make. My guess? Our moms got the recipe from the same book or magazine. During the 50’s, it seems like there were a few classic ‘American’ recipes that almost all the housewives used. This was likely one of them.
So, if you’re looking for a beautiful and flavorful ham, try this recipe. It doesn’t dissapoint!
Enjoy!
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