How to Bake a Ham

Purchase an 8-pound smoked, fully cooked ham half

Put ham in a large stockpot

Pour water into the stockpot so that it covers nearly 2" ABOVE the top of the ham

Cover the top of the stockpot and refrigerate it for 24 hours

Drain the stockpot and rinse the ham with warm water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit

Trim the fat and rind off of the ham

Score (light cuts) in a diamond pattern on the exterior of the ham

Stud the ham with 2 teaspoons of white cloves

Cover a broiler pan rack with cooking spray, and then place the ham on top of the rack, skin down.

Place the rack in a pan and pour 1 cup of apple juice over the ham into the pan

Cover the ham lightly with tin foil

Bake the ham for about 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees

Be sure to baste the ham from time to time with apple juice

Remove the ham from the oven (BUT don't turn the oven off) and uncover the tin foil

Mix 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, then brush the mixture onto the ham

Put the ham back into the oven WITHOUT a tin foil cover, and bake for an additional 30 minutes (or until a thermometer reads 140 degrees in the thickest part of the ham)

Once the ham is cooked, put it on a cutting board, and allow it to cool off for about 10 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!