Low Sodium Ham

Low Sodium Ham

Here is a low sodium ham recipe- I wasn't sure if there was such a recipe but this is a fresh uncured ham recipe that has approximately 410 mg of sodium per serving. It takes a little work, but can be made days before your family occasion, it's a great recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It is made with a spice rub of sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg is rubbed over the pork before it goes in the oven.

 After 3 1/2 hours of roasting, you begin basting the pork with maple syrup. The total roasting time is slightly less than five hours.

• 8- to 10-pound bone-in fresh ham, preferably from the shank end, remove the rind
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Cooking Instructions

Put the ham in a large roasting pan, preferably one that's shiny enough to reflect lots of ambient heat and not so flimsy that it tips when you pick it up. Set the oven rack as high as it can go and still afford the ham at least 2 inches of head space. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg in a small bowl. Smooth the spice mixture all over the ham's external surface. Work it down into some of the crevices but be careful to avoid any deep-tissue massage.

Cover the whole ham with aluminum foil, put it in the oven, and leave it alone for 3 1/2 hours, while you go do whatever it is you do when a big, sweating hunk of meat is roasting in your oven.

Peel off the aluminum foil. Baste the ham with about half the maple syrup, preferably using a basting brush. Take it easy so you don't knock off the spice coating. Use small strokes or just dribble the syrup off a spoon.

Continue roasting the ham, uncovered this time, basting every 15 minutes or so with more maple syrup as well as any pan drippings, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone registers 170 degrees, about 1 and 1/4 hours. If it starts to singe or turn too dark, tent it loosely with foil, uncovering it just at the last to get it back to crunchy crisp.

Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves about 12 or more.