Glazed Ham with Apricot-Mustard Sauce

There are a great variety of different meats prepared for Christmas day. My family has always been pretty straight-forward and predictable food-wise; we have a ham and for people who won’t eat the ham, a roast is prepared. For those families, like mine, out there who are always greeted with the same main course on Christmas day, try doing a little something different with your main course to shock and delight the taste buds.

You will need:

• 7 pounds (about half of a bone-in) cured smoked ham, (butt end), room temperature
• 2 cups apricot jam
• 1/4 cup mustard powder
• Butter for aluminum foil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil; place roasting rack in pan.

2. With a sharp knife, trim fat, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Lightly score fat in a diamond pattern (do not cut into meat). Place ham, fat side up, on rack; roast 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine jam and mustard (they can be mixed and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead). Transfer 1/2 cup mixture to a small bowl to glaze ham. Set aside saucepan with remaining mixture.

4. After 1 hour, brush ham with glaze. Repeat every 15 minutes until brown and shiny, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, avoiding bone, registers 130 degrees, about 1 hour more (if glaze starts to burn, tent ham with buttered foil). Discard unused glaze. Remove ham from oven; cover loosely with buttered foil to keep warm. Temperature will then rise another 5 to 10 degrees.

5. Bring jam mixture in saucepan to a boil. Carve ham, reserving bone and 2 cups of meat for Split Pea Soup. Serve with sauce.