Baked Fresh Ham

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Step 2

   It is not essential, but you will ease carving the ham after cooking if you run a knife around the contour of the hip bone on the underside of the ham. Run the knife down deep around the bone, but do not remove the bone now. It will be removed after cooking

3. Step 3

   In a mixing bowl, blend the salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, sage and oil.

4. Step 4

   Place the ham on a flat surface with the rind side up. With a boning knife, make ¼-inch-deep gashes from the butt end to the shank and cut through the rind at 1-inch intervals.

5. Step 5

   Place the ham in a roasting pan with the skin and fat side up; massage it all over with the spice mixture.

6. Step 6

   Place the ham in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes and reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes more, basting occasionally. Add the onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Cover with foil and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 2 hours, basting occasionally. Add the chicken broth and continue cooking for 1 more hour. The internal temperature should be about 165 degrees. Two bones will protrude from the shank (the small end), one large and one small. If the small upper bone can be removed with a slight pull, it is an indication that the ham is cooked.

7. Step 7

   Remove the ham from the pan, cover with foil and keep warm. Skim off the fat from the gravy with a large spoon. Strain the gravy with a strainer. Let the ham rest for at least half an hour before carving.

8. Step 8

   To carve, run the carving knife under the rind, remove it and cut away excess fat. With the ham fat side up make a perpendicular cut down to the bone about 3 inches from the shank end and carve in thin, long slices on the bias. Serve with hot gravy.