Holiday Ham with Riesling and Mustard

A festive bone-in ham glazed with a sophisticated blend of sweet Riesling wine, whole grain mustard, and honey. This showstopping main dish features a perfectly scored ham basted in wine and finished with a flavorful mustard coating.

12 servings

4 hr 20 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1 whole 14-16-pound whole cured, smoked bone-in ham
•2 cups sweet (Auslese) Riesling, divided
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•¼ cup finely chopped shallots
•3 sprigs thyme
•½ cup whole grain mustard
•1 tablespoon honey
•½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Cooking Instructions

1.
Arrange a rack in lowest level of oven; preheat to 300°F. Leaving fat intact, remove outer rind from most of ham, leaving a band around the end of the shank bone. Score fat crosswise (do not cut into meat) on top of ham with parallel cuts spaced 1/2" apart. Place ham in a large roasting pan. Boil 1 cup Riesling and 7 cups water in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Pour into bottom of roasting pan. Bake ham, basting with pan juices occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of ham registers 110°F, 2 1/2-3 hours.
180 min
2.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme sprigs; cook, stirring often, until shallots are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in the remaining 1 cup Riesling. Return to stove. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and transfer mixture to a food processor. Add thyme leaves, mustard, honey, pepper, and salt. Process until well blended.
20 min
3.
Remove pan from oven and increase heat to 350°F. Using a pastry brush, spread Riesling mixture over ham. Return pan to oven and bake ham, tenting with foil if browning too quickly, until internal temperature registers 135°F and crust is golden brown, 15-30 minutes.
30 min
4.
Transfer ham to a large platter. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Skim fat from pan juices, reheat, and pour juices into a medium pitcher; serve alongside.
30 min

Cooking Instructions

Arrange a rack in lowest level of oven; preheat to 300°F. Leaving fat intact, remove outer rind from most of ham, leaving a band around the end of the shank bone. Score fat crosswise (do not cut into meat) on top of ham with parallel cuts spaced 1/2" apart. Place ham in a large roasting pan. Boil 1 cup Riesling and 7 cups water in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Pour into bottom of roasting pan. Bake ham, basting with pan juices occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of ham registers 110°F, 2 1/2-3 hours.

180 min

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme sprigs; cook, stirring often, until shallots are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in the remaining 1 cup Riesling. Return to stove. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and transfer mixture to a food processor. Add thyme leaves, mustard, honey, pepper, and salt. Process until well blended.

20 min

Remove pan from oven and increase heat to 350°F. Using a pastry brush, spread Riesling mixture over ham. Return pan to oven and bake ham, tenting with foil if browning too quickly, until internal temperature registers 135°F and crust is golden brown, 15-30 minutes.

30 min

Transfer ham to a large platter. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Skim fat from pan juices, reheat, and pour juices into a medium pitcher; serve alongside.

30 min