Wood-Fired Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Every holiday feast deserves a show-stopping centerpiece that creates days’ worth of leftovers for use in other dishes. Enter this brown sugar-glazed ham baked in your Ooni pizza oven. This recipe, from backyard grill expert and Ooni Ambassador James Synowicki, tastes best when fired with wood to get the maximum smoky flavor. He recommends adding a little fruit wood (think apple or cherry) for extra flavor in the ham and its pineapple garnish.

Often referred to as Yule ham (though enjoyable year-round), baked ham is a time-honored way to make a standard holiday meal feel extra special. This ham is moist and tender inside, with a sweet and sticky exterior slightly charred from the brown sugar glaze. A charred pineapple garnish ensures every bite is succulent and flavorful, leaving you and your guests wanting more. Suggested accompaniments include smoked almonds for nibbling and a bright, zesty salad to create a colourful table spread.

By choosing a slightly larger ham, you’ll be setting yourself up nicely for those holiday leftovers. A festive Hawaiian pizza, ham sandwiches with cranberry and cheese, or simply a midnight snack when no one is looking.. the possibilities abound.

Wood-Fired Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Note

This recipe is suitable for larger 16” ovens with a taller internal height due to the size of the ham. We recommend wood-fired cooking, as the smokiness of the fuel adds a rich flavor to the meat over a longer cook.

Make sure to double check that the smoked ham you plan on using is fully cooked. (Check the package to ensure it is; a fully cooked ham just needs to be heated through to 60°C.) Feel free to substitute any quality smoked ham available to you.