Cognac Caramel Glazed Ham

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter then add remaining ingredients. Whisk together, stirring constantly until glaze simmers. Reduce heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes, continuing to stir. Remove from heat and set aside. (You can make the glaze a few days in advance and refrigerate, though you might need to reheat before using).
3. Remove the ham from the packaging and pour any liquid from the ham into prepared glaze. Place ham on a cutting board with the face of the ham facing you. Using a sharp carving knife, score the surface through the fat in slightly diagonal long lines about 1” apart, then turn ham 45 degrees and score a second set of lines about 1” apart to make diamond-shaped cuts. 
4. Place ham on a foil-lined baking pan (the foil will make clean up infinitely easier), brush generously with glaze, pour a cup of water into the pan and cover loosely with foil. Make sure to crimp the foil around the edges of the pan, this will allow the ham to steam. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil, ladle or spoon out any remaining water, and brush very generously with glaze, turn oven temperature to 400° and continue baking uncovered and glazing in 15-minute increments for an hour or until ham is a deep golden brown. The more you glaze the more delicious your ham will be.  Watch it closely though because the glaze can quickly go from a rich golden brown to burned.
6. Allow ham to cool for 15 to 30 minutes and slice crosswise as thick or thin as you like. Slicing the ham crosswise not with the grain will make the ham more tender.