Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Ham

My father in-law is not a big fan of turkey. So about five years ago, we started adding a bone-in-ham to the family Thanksgiving menu. But each year I am the host and cook, and so I would run into a problem: After making the turkey, how do I season and heat a full ham while all the side dishes are hogging the oven space? Fortunately I settled on a solution: Put the ham in a slow cooker!

I admit, spiral-cut ham wasn’t something I always loved. The glaze can be overly sweet, and the texture of the meat can be unpleasantly chewy. This recipe avoids both of those qualities. I’ve given it a custom not-too-sweet glaze (though you can use the packet if you want).

Since most holiday hams come pre-cooked, all I have to do is load it into the slow cooker in the morning. As another bonus? After it’s been slow-cooked, the slow cooker is set to warm, so the ham stays moist while we wait. (There’s always at least one in-law who is late.) And ever since mastering the technique for Thanksgiving, I make my Christmas ham and Easter ham in the slow cooker, too.

• It’s incredibly tender. The low, slow heat of the slow cooker gently braises the ham, making it the most melt-in-the-mouth tender cured pork you’ll ever eat.
• The glaze is sweet and tangy. The mixture of brown sugar, honey, mustard, and cloves hits all the sweet, warm, and tangy flavors that are familiar and comforting on ham. Plus, these ingredients thicken as they cook, making a sticky-sweet sauce that can be spooned over the slices when serving.

• Bone-in, spiral-cut ham: Look for a spiral-cut ham that is fully cooked (it must be labeled as such) and has the bone in. Butt-end hams tend to fit into slow cookers more readily, but their bone is a little trickier to slice around. Consider the size of your slow cooker when shopping for your ham. A 10-pound ham is as big as you can go for a six-quart slow cooker.
• Brown sugar: Use light brown sugar.
• Honey: Along with the light brown sugar, honey provides just the right amount of sweetness for the glaze.
• Mustard: Dijon mustard adds some tang.
• Cloves: Whole cloves are sweet, pungent, and warming.

1. Make the glaze. Place light brown sugar, honey, water, Dijon mustard, and whole cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer until the glaze is homogeneous and fragrant from the cloves. Remove from the heat, then remove the cloves with a spoon.
2. Prepare the ham. Place the spiral-cut ham in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, making sure you can put the lid on. You may have to turn the ham on its side, or trim a bit off the top if your ham is too large. Gently pull apart the ham’s slices and separate them.
3. Add the glaze. Pour the glaze over the ham, trying to cover as much of the ham as possible, but not worrying too much, as the glaze will fall back into the slow cooker.
4. Cook and baste the ham. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 4 to 5 hours. Every hour (or as you remember), baste the ham with the glaze. You can also flip the ham halfway through cooking, if desired. The ham is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Serve with the thickened glaze.

Most fully cooked hams also come with a packet of glaze mix, which you add water to. This is essentially just brown sugar and spices. There is nothing really wrong with this, and, in fact, you can use it with your ham in the slow cooker. But my glaze is not really difficult, and I think you’ll find it’s a little tastier for being homemade.

• Make ahead: The glaze can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
• Storage: Store leftover ham in its juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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