Ina Garten's Sweet Addition For Juicy Baked Ham

Baked ham always has a spot on the dinner table during the holidays and at big family and friend get-togethers when you need to feed a crowd. Its signature sweet and savory taste allows for so many preparation options. You can make a ham with bourbon brown sugar glaze or a smoked pineapple ham -- this meat is versatile. Celebrity chef Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, turns to orange marmalade to create a sweet glaze for her ham, and it easily could be included on the list of Garten's best comfort food dishes. You may want to add it to your list to try, as well.

In an Instagram post, The Barefoot Contessa shared that, "For the holidays, my Orange Marmalade-Glazed Ham from 'Go-To Dinners' is the easiest and most delicious dinner you'll ever make! The bone-in ham is from @nodines_smokehouse — you make the marmalade glaze, pour it on the ham, and just bake it. How easy is that??! Great for dinner or for a cocktail party with mini biscuits and chutney." Garten isn't kidding. Her recipe is that easy, and the glaze offers notes that are both sweet and tangy.

Read more: Ina Garten's 12 Best Cleaning Tips For A Mess-Free Kitchen

Score Your Ham Before Glazing It

To create a balance of flavor, Ina Garten adds both Dijon mustard and Port wine to her orange marmalade glaze. The Dijon is going to add a slightly pungent and spicy element to this sweet and gelatinous citrus coating for your ham while the Port wine's bitter and sweet notes round out the flavor profile to appease a broad range of palates. Before she covers the ham with this glaze, Garten follows a couple of important steps. First, she allows it to sit out at room temperature for an hour. Then, she removes the ham's dark outer layer but retains all the fat.

Next, she scores the ham's fat to allow for maximum flavor absorption. This also keeps the interior moist during cooking while still allowing it to develop that crispy outer crust that adds to the texture. After the ham is scored, she pours pineapple juice over the meat and lets it roast for an hour and a half before the marmalade glaze even touches the ham. The pineapple juice is going to cause your ham to become sticky, which will help the marmalade glaze adhere to it better when you are ready to add it. The end result is a moist, sweet, and juicy ham that everyone will love.

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