Portions:
8-12
Ingredients
- 10-pound ham, bone-in, skin removed
- 2 cups pure Canadian maple syrup
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 vanilla pods
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
Method
- Place ham in a large dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cover, lower heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
- Split the vanilla beans and scrape out seeds into a medium bowl. Cut the pods crosswise into a total of 12 to 15 pieces; set pod pieces aside.
- Add to the bowl with the vanilla seeds: the maple syrup, orange juice and pepper. Stir to combine; set the glaze aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain ham and pat dry before placing on a rack in a roasting pan, fatty side up.
- With a knife, make diamond-shape incisions in the fat of the ham. Stud each incision with a piece of vanilla pod.
- With a basting brush, cover the ham with some of the glaze and roast uncovered 1-1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes.
- Fifteen minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle ham with maple sugar. Return ham to oven and roast until the sugar caramelizes to a glossy brown.
- Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before carving. Collect the cooking juices, strain and serve with the ham.
Advice from Maple experts
This maple-vanilla ham is perfect for entertaining a crowd. The maple syrup adds a natural sweetness to the salty ham and the vanilla creates a touch of warmth that is sure to impress!
