Saturday, November 07th 2009

Ham in Beer

1 ham -- tenderized
½ teaspoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons water
1 cup brown sugar
20 whole cloves
10 bay leaves
36 ounces beer
Candied cherries
Candied pineapple

Remove all but a thin layer of fat from the ham. Score the top. Place in a roasting pan. Mix mustard, water and sugar to the consistency of prepared mustard. Cover the ham with this mixture. Stick cloves in the ham surface. Fasten the bay leaves to the ham with smalll skewers or toothpicks broken in half. Pour the beer over the ham and bake, uncovered, 30 minutes to the pound in an oven preheated to 425 degrees. Just before serving, decorate with candied cherries and slices of pineapple fastened to the ham with toothpicks. Return to oven to brown for 20 minutes. Use the liquid in the pan as a sauce for the ham.

Allow 1/3 pound ham per person to be served, and keep in mind that leftover ham has a multitude of uses, as well as being a meat that retains its flavor well in the freezer.