Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

When it comes to holiday dishes, it doesn’t get more classic than a brown sugar pineapple ham with cherries. Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving… just about any holiday is better with glazed baked ham.

 

Bone-In Ham vs Boneless Ham

Some tell me ham is ham and I am going to tell you that just isn’t the case. Choosing the right ham for the recipe is in fact pretty important, although you can easily modify based on the cut you have.

While bone-in looks more impressive, most folks will opt for a spiral cut ham to prevent from having to carve themselves. These are great, but a little more challenging to prepare for a baked ham recipe like this because the slices will literally start to fall off.

I used a boneless ham for this pineapple ham recipe. It isn’t sliced, so it is nicely dotted with cloves, pineapple slices and cherries. It also has some fat removed so it is slightly leaner. Boneless makes it easy to carve. You can use a spiral ham, but it will be a little challenging and you might need to tie together the cut pieces with cooking twine.

Scoring

Many recipes will call for you to score the ham before cooking claiming that the glaze will penetrate the ham for flavor. LIES!

Scoring used to be used to cut through a thick fatty layer on the exterior. Now days, most don’t have that. Scoring can also dry out your ham faster. The rind protects tender, juicy meat inside, but if you break through that the barrier is lost and now it has the tendency to dry out.

And as far as flavor, a ham is far too dense, thick and already cooked to be infused with that much flavor all the way through. The glaze is important and will give you a lovely crusty brown sugar taste, but never, will it ever reach the center, or even 1/2 inch into, a ham. This is also why I reserve a portion of my glaze to be basted on after carving.

Some, like this pineapple ham, will come with a diamond pattern or little indentations from the packaging. This is different from scoring and isn’t removable and will not dry out your roast. But it does look pretty!

Why Put Cloves In Ham?

This is a fad that started in the 1950’s along with JELLO molds and other odd culinary creations. But unlike some of those, this one stuck around.

The reason? It provided more than just an “unusual” flavor. Clove and ham complement each other. But like the glaze, sticking a few tiny cloves into a ham isn’t going to penetrate flavor to the core.

It does give off a lovely aroma while baking and gives flavor to the glaze and fruit. They need to be removed before carving. While they won’t hurt you if eaten, they aren’t pleasant. Kinda like chewing on a fragrant twig.

What You’ll Need

One of the most important elements of this pineapple ham is the brown glaze recipe. Mine is made of only three in ingredients. For volumes, scroll down to the printable recipe card below.

• Pineapple juice- I use the juice from the can, just make sure your pineapples are packed in 100% juice. A 20 ounce can has approximately 3/4 cup liquid. If using fresh pineapple, buy pineapple juice.
• Brown sugar – light or dark work, it depends on how much molasses undertones you desire. Double for a thicker glaze with a crunch.
• Dijon mustard – I go with a smooth mustard, but grainy can work too.
• Maple Syrup – Another sugar, but it offers a different flavor and helps to thicken the ham glaze.

Let’s Make It!

The is and easy recipe, but you will need to be present to baste the pineapple ham every so often. Hams are already cooked, so really you just need to reheat and create the delicious, fruity exterior.

1. Prepare oven and ham. Preheat the oven and place the ham in a large, high-sided roasting pan. There will be a good amount of juices, so make sure the pan is deep enough to capture these.
2. Make glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard. If you want thick and syrupy glaze, double the brown sugar.
3. Add cloves. Poke the whole cloves into the ham at equal intervals. The exact positioning isn’t that important. Some might be covered by pineapple rings.
4. Add pineapples and cherries. Arrange the pineapple slices of the top of the ham, securing them with a cherry and a toothpick in the center.
5. Baste and bake. Baste the whole ham once with liquid and then bake, uncovered, basting every 20 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 145°F. This is based on an 8 pound ham, but again, since they are already cooked, the internal temperature isn’t as important.
6. Remove the ham from the oven. At this time you can “display” your pretty ham or go ahead and prepare it for serving.
7. Remove pineapple, cherries and cloves. To prepare for serving, remove the pineapple slices, cherries and cloves. Discard cloves and toothpicks.
8. Slice the ham using a sharp knife and baste the slices with the remaining basting liquid and then serve with the pineapple and cherries on the side. Sometimes I chop up the pineapple into tidbits for easier eating.

Perfect Companions

Ham is such a versatile protein — it can be used in tons of ways! Serve it on biscuits, replace Canadian bacon with it for a twist on eggs Benedict, or layer it with cheese on a Hawaiian ham slider.

You can also serve it as a main meal, of course. It’s the perfect pairing for veggie side dishes like green beans with bacon, broccoli, or creamed corn casserole. For starches, try bacon mustard potato salad, Hasselback potatoes, or creamy mac and cheese. 

Reheating & Freezing

How to Reheat Ham

It is easy! You can do it in the oven at 350, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. It it is already sliced, as opposed to be a large chunk of meat like it was when you cooked it originally, it won’t take nearly as long.

You can, of course, reheat it in the microwave, but any meat heated this way gets a little rubbery and the goal is another meal of tender ham.

Can I Freeze Pineapple Ham?

Yep! But word to the wise, the pineapple and cherries won’t defrost as well as the actual ham. They are made up of a lot of water, so they thaw a little soggy and limp. If you are planning on making ahead of a holiday dinner, I would not recommend this. It is, however, acceptable for leftovers.

Serve it alongside a Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas dinner or even for Easter dinner. The meal will be great, but the leftovers will be even tastier! Transform them into a fantastic ham sandwich or even Hoppin John – if you haven’t heard of this, you aren’t living!

Your Questions, Answered

More Ham Recipes

Perfect for serving at any holiday gathering, these ham recipes are sure to be total show stoppers.