Picnic Ham (with Orange Glaze)

🥘 Ham with Orange Glaze Ingredient Notes

The reason this ham is so good is because of this orange glaze - glaze is the key to a great ham. I actually worked on this glaze for a long time until it was PERFECT!

But it's not only the glaze, the other secret to great ham is basting with the glaze. A lot of people don't realize that ham needs that TLC, just like a turkey does.

For this simple glaze you'll need the following:

•   Orange juice. Orange juice is the flavor star of the show here ! You can use any brand you prefer.
•   Molasses. Molasses gives this glaze a deep rich flavor, some sweetness, and thickens it so no need for flour or cornstarch.
•   Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds sweetness and depth of flavor, cooking down into a syrup with the molasses.
•   Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard and ham are a great pairing and it gives this glaze a little kick.
•   Orange zest. Orange zest enhances the orange flavor with a citrus zing!

*See recipe card for quantities

This Picnic Ham with Orange Glaze is the perfect Easter ham or dinner any time of the year. I'll also cook this ham pretty much any other time of the year, especially when I find it on sale. It's a super economical meal, especially when you consider it feeds a family of 4 and you have leftovers, plus a ham bone for soup! Not many $17 meat purchases give you that!

Why do they call it picnic ham?

Okay, so technically picnic ham isn’t ham, it's pork shoulder because it comes from the shoulder area of the pig, not the butt/leg.

I used to think picnic ham was named as such because it was just great for picnics. And I really wasn't far off... Since picnic shoulder/ham is an inexpensive substitute for real ham (which only comes from the hind legs), it's considered to be a good cut for casual dining — such as a picnic — rather than for use at a formal affair.

However, I can tell you that this ham is definitely formal affair worthy! Although,  I don't exactly consider Easter a formal affair at my house (or anyone's house I'd eat Easter dinner at) anyway....

🔪 🍳How to cook a smoked picnic ham pork shoulder

The first time I grabbed a smoked picnic ham from the grocery store, I have to admit, I was confused. Was it already cooked? Did I still have to cook it? How long should I cook it? It didn't look like other traditional ham I'd bought in the past.

This picnic ham takes 2-3 hours. And that's considerably less of a time commitment than a turkey, which usually takes 6-8 hours. This is a really good article about the different types of ham and how to cook them. Although, for this picnic ham, there are clear step-by-step instructions below.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C. Remove netting! Then place ham on a large roasting pan or baking dish, fat side up. Pour ¾ cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Cooking time: Cover roasting pan with foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour. This allows the rind to be removed easily. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
3. After baking for 1 hour, take the ham out of the oven and remove the aluminum foil. Peel off the rind from the ham and discard. The rind will be hot, so I used tongs. If desired, you can trim some of the fat off the fat cap, but I usually leave a lot of it on the ham. This is what it will look like.
4. Orange Glaze: While the ham is cooking, whisk all the glaze ingredients together in small bowl or pourable measuring cup (I prefer to do this so I can pour it right onto the ham) Scoring; Cut cross-check slits into the fat and about ½ inch into the meat of the ham. * I cut a little deeper but it was nice because it really soaks up the flavor!
5. Pour ⅔ of the glaze over the top of the ham.  Bake for another 2 hours, uncovered. BUT baste it with the remaining glaze after 1 hour, then again after 30 minutes, dividing the remaining glaze between the two basting sessions. (See HINT below)
6. Once done, let the ham rest for about 5-10 minutes after you take it out of the oven, then carve the ham into preferred serving slices. * I like it a little thicker.

Hint * Use a BBQ basting brush (affiliate link) to ensure you get in the slits, You can use a pastry brush too!

👪 Serving size

A smoked picnic ham is the perfect size for my family. Usually weighing somewhere between 5-8 pounds. These hams usually give my family of 4 a meal with leftovers and I love having the bone to make my ham soup from!

*See leftover ham recipes below!

🌡️Storage

If you find yourself with leftover ham the next day, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

You can also freeze leftover ham to make soup for up to 3 months.

🐇Easter dinner dessert

Easter's just around the corner and if you're considering a dinner for a larger gathering, potluck, or just your family, smoked picnic ham is a great option! I’m all about turkey for special occasions but sometimes you just want to mix it up and have ham!

And ham just makes it feel different than Thanksgiving or Christmas, which is a good thing. Ham is perfect for when you're feeding a crowd or just want leftovers. If you're looking for Easter dinner desserts, then check out my Easter Creme Egg Chocolate Swiss Roll or my Old Fashioned Lemon Pie

Leftover Ham Recipes

And if you still have ham leftovers check out my 35 Healthy Leftover Ham Recipes!