Roast Fresh Ham

FOR THE ROAST: Carefully slice through skin and fat with serrated knife, making 1-inch diamond pattern. Be careful not to cut into meat.

FOR THE BRINE: In large (about 16-quart) bucket or stockpot, dissolve brown sugar and salt in 1 gallon hot tap water. Add garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and 1 gallon cold water. Submerge ham in brine and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.

Set large disposable roasting pan on baking sheet for extra support; place flat wire rack in roasting pan. Remove ham from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place ham, wide cut-side down, on rack. (If using sirloin end, place ham skin side up.) Let ham stand, uncovered, at room temperature 1 hour.

FOR THE GARLIC AND HERB RUB: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Process sage, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil in food processor until mixture forms smooth paste, about 30 seconds. Rub all sides of ham with paste.

FOR THE GLAZE: Bring cider, brown sugar, and cloves to boil in small nonreactive saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1⅓ cups, 5 to 7 minutes. (Glaze will thicken as it cools between bastings; cook over medium heat about 1 minute, stirring once or twice, before using.)

Roast ham at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast, brushing ham with glaze every 45 minutes, until center of ham registers 145 to 150, about 2½ hours longer. Tent ham loosely with foil and let stand until center of ham registers 155 to 160 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Carve, following instructions below, and serve.

FOR THE SHANK END: Transfer the ham to a cutting board and carve it lengthwise alongside the bone, following the two dotted lines in the illustration above. Lay the large boneless pieces that you have just carved flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.

FOR THE SIRLOIN END: Transfer the ham to a cutting board and carve into three pieces around the bones along the dotted lines in the illustration above. Lay the large boneless pieces that you have just carved flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.