GENUINE VIRGINIA BAKED HAM RECIPE

Ingredients

For the Ham

1 fully cooked Virginia-style country ham or city ham (8–10 lbs)
Whole cloves (optional)
Water for soaking (if using a saltier country ham)

For the Glaze (Traditional Virginia Style)

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup honey or molasses
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dry mustard
2 tbsp butter
Optional: a splash of apple cider, pineapple juice, or bourbon

Instructions

1. Prepare the Ham

If using a true Virginia country ham (salt-cured):

Scrub ham under cold water.
Place in a large pot, cover with water, and soak 12–24 hours, changing water once.
This reduces salt and tenderizes.

If using a city ham (milder, pre-cooked):

No soaking required.

2. Preheat Oven

Heat to 160°C / 325°F.

3. Bake the Ham (Traditional Slow Method)

Place ham fat side up in a large roasting pan.
Add 1–2 cups water to keep it moist.
Cover tightly with heavy foil.

Bake:

Country ham: 18–20 minutes per pound
City ham: 12–15 minutes per pound

This stage simply heats gently and keeps the meat tender.

4. Prepare the Glaze

In a saucepan, combine:

Brown sugar
Honey or molasses
Butter
Vinegar
Dry mustard

Simmer 3 minutes until smooth and glossy.

5. Score, Clove, and Glaze

Remove ham from oven and peel off the skin (leave a layer of fat).
Score fat in a diamond pattern.
Press 1 clove into each diamond (optional but traditional).
Brush generously with glaze.

6. Finish Baking

Return to the oven uncovered for:

20–30 minutes, basting once, until the glaze is caramelized and shiny.

For a deeper crust, broil 1–2 minutes, watching carefully.

7. Rest & Serve

Let ham rest 15–20 minutes before slicing.
Slice thinly — Virginia ham is rich and flavorful, best served in thin ribbons.

Serving Suggestions (True Virginia Style)

Serve with biscuits, mustard, chutney, or red-eye gravy.
Also perfect with collard greens, spoonbread, or candied yams.

ANOTHER nice baked ham recipe Virgina style to try !
BAKED HAM RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 small, rather lean ham
6 cloves
1/2 teaspoonful celery seed
2 tablespoonful sugar
Boiling water
1 egg, beaten
10 peppercorns
1/2 teaspoonful ground cinnamon
1 quart sweet cider
2 tablespoonfuls breadcrumbs
Celery leaves and curls for garnish
Currant sauce

BAKED HAM RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
Select a ham weighing about seven pounds. Wash the ham thoroughly, sprinkle with baking soda, rubbing it all over the surface, rinse in cold water, and place in a deep kettle, with the cloves, celery seed, cinnamon, peppercorns and cider. Cover with boiling water and simmer until perfectly tender, four or five hours.

Take from the kettle, remove the skin, and sprinkle the ham with sugar. Brush over with beaten egg, cover with ground breadcrumbs, stick in cloves at even intervals and brown in a 550°F. oven.

Trim the baked ham meat from the bone end, and decorate the latter with celery leaves and curls. Serve baked ham recipe with currant sauce. Enjoy it !
baked-ham-and-scalloped-potatoes recipe

VIDEO:

BAKED HAM RECIPES