Step 1

. Remove the ham from the refrigerator about 1 hour in advance (no more than 2 hours), to allow it to come closer to room temperature. This helps the ham heat evenly in the oven. *If desired, you can use a sharp knife to cut a diamond pattern across the surface of the ham.

Step 2

. Start by moving the oven rack to the lower third of the oven (so the center of the ham will be in the center of the oven), and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Step 3

. Remove any packaging or wrapping on the ham. Add the ham cut-side down to a large roasting pan or a 9×13 pan (if it fits!). Pour the water into the bottom of the pan, and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. (I usually use two sheets of foil that I overlap in the center to make one larger piece.)

Step 4

. Bake the ham for 10-12 Minutes Per Pound until you have about 30 minutes left. (For an 8lb. ham = 50 minutes, For a 9lb. ham = 1 hour, For a 10 lb. ham = 1 hour 10 minutes)

Step 5

. After putting the ham in the oven to bake, mix up your ham glaze. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, honey, mustard, and pepper and stir JUST until the sugar is fully dissolved. Don’t simmer or boil, or you risk the glaze hardening. Set the glaze aside or keep on a very low warm setting.

Step 6

. When there’s about 30 minutes left of the bake time, carefully remove the foil and use a pastry brush to brush the ham with about 1/3 of the honey mustard glaze, trying to also get some in between the spiral cuts if you can. Cover the ham again with the foil and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

Step 7

. After another 30 minutes, check to see if the ham is heated through. The internal temperature at the center should register 145 degrees F. (Be careful not to hit the bone with the thermometer, which can throw off your reading). If the ham isn’t quite done, cover again with the foil and cook in 10-15 minute increments until the ham has heated through.

Step 8

. If the ham is ready, remove the ham from the oven and brush generously with 1/3 of the glaze, trying to tuck some glaze into the spiral cuts. Turn the oven heat up to 425 degrees and cook just 5-10 minutes more to allow the glaze to caramelize.

Step 9

. Use your brush to scoop up some of the liquid and pan juices at the bottom of the pan, and stir them into the remaining glaze (just a few tablespoons to thin things out). If desired, brush the sides one more time or serve the remaining glaze on the side, thinned out with some of the pan juices. Let the ham rest for about 5 minutes to redistribute the juices inside, then slice with a sharp knife and serve warm.