Easter Ham: How It's Prepared, Glazed, and Served

Easter ham is a tradition in a lot of households, and on this episode of Meat & Greet, Myke Stittsworth walks through everything you need to know — from picking the right ham to glazing it and getting it on the table.

Myke explains the differences between bone-in and boneless, spiral-cut vs. whole, and why a good glaze doesn't need to be complicated. He also talks about what makes a butcher-shop ham different from what you'd grab at the grocery store.

Easter Ham 101

• Bone-in vs. boneless: flavor and convenience trade-offs
• Spiral-cut for easy serving, whole for better moisture
• Simple glaze recipes that actually work
• How long to heat (not overcook) a pre-cooked ham
• Leftover ideas: ham sandwiches, soup, and breakfast hash

About Meat & Greet

Myke Stittsworth joins KBUN Sports Radio's High Noon every week from Stittsworth Meats in Bemidji, MN.

🎧 Listen to this episode on KBUN | Browse all Meat & Greet episodes

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🍖 Recipe: Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glazed Stittsworth Easter Ham

A showstopping centerpiece for Easter dinner -- a succulent Stittsworth ham glazed with a caramelized brown sugar and pineapple coating that's both sweet and savory.

Ingredients

• 1 Stittsworth Bone-In Ham (8--10 lbs)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple rings, drained
• Whole cloves for studding
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Remove Stittsworth Ham from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Place ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and add 1/2 cup water to the bottom.
3. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 1.5 hours (about 10 minutes per pound).
4. While ham cooks, prepare glaze by whisking together brown sugar, pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Simmer glaze over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 375°F.
7. Score the ham surface in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 1/4 inch deep into the fat layer.
8. Stud the intersection points of the score with whole cloves.
9. Brush ham generously with glaze, then arrange pineapple rings on top, securing with toothpicks.
10. Bake uncovered for 30--40 minutes, basting with glaze every 10 minutes, until exterior is golden and caramelized.
11. Transfer ham to a cutting board and let rest for 10--15 minutes before slicing.

Pro Tip: Stittsworth Ham comes fully cooked and cured, so your job is heating it through while building a gorgeous caramelized exterior. The scoring allows the glaze to penetrate deeper into the meat -- don't cut too deep, just the fat layer.