FOR EASTER! THE ORIGINAL MONTE’S HAM AND GLAZE

SOME RECIPES CHANGE YOUR LIFE. THIS ONE CHANGED MINE

Long before Chewing The Fat existed, before food blogging was even a glimmer on my horizon, I came up with a glazed ham recipe that turned out to have rather excellent manners. It made its way into Saveur magazine in 1995 in a story I wrote called “The Ham Gambit: How Carlotta Fed 30 People for $6.99.” To my lasting delight, Saveur later included it in Saveur Cooks Authentic American from Chronicle Books in 1998, which is no small thing for a man with a weakness for pork and a flair for the dramatic. Guess what? You can still buy the Book, Click here and it’s yours..https://amzn.to/4dGT2g3

Here’s what reviewer Suzanne Hamlin said when Monte’s Ham appeared in the Times on September 30, 1998.

“The recipe for Monte’s Ham alone may be worth the price of admission. Monte Mathews, an Advertising Executive, writes: “When I first came to New York, a friend gave me two pieces of advice: first, if you wear an expensive watch, you can wear anything else you want; second when you have a lot of people over, buy a ham.” Mr. Mathews already had the watch, but he was flummoxed by the ham until he went to a party and saw hordes of guests tucking into a giant, glistening specimen. Begging his hostess for the secret, she disclosed “Buy a ham, glaze the hell out of it and cook it for a long, long time.” Cooked to his instructions, (I) served (Monte’s Ham) to a group of ten with professed discerning palates. (In truth, cut into half-inch slices, the ham would serve 30 or more.) They went crazy for Monte’s Ham, clamoring for seconds and thirds, grabbing nubbins from the platter, and boldly demanding to take home the leftovers. The big, deeply bronzed beauty was truly delicious–succulent and moist on the inside, sweetly glazed and crisp on the outside.” 

Of course, what did I do after this glowing review? I went into the Ham business of course. Three years later, I gave up. 

People only buy hams two times a year and it stopped being a recipe and became the Monte’s Ham Hotline. Every Easter and Christmas, the phone rang nonstop—glazing emergencies, carving crises, full-blown holiday panic—with exactly one person on staff: me. And then there was United Parcel Service, the only outfit reliably making money on Monte’s Ham.  I fielded calls on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day about hams that hadn’t arrived, had arrived late, or had apparently vanished into thin air. At some point, I realized my holidays no longer belonged to me—they belonged to the ham. So I stepped away.

CAVEAT EMPTOR: CHEAP HAM

When I developed Monte’s Ham,  I made a major shift in direction: I discovered that factory-farmed ” Cheap” hams are probably one of the great travesties in American farming. I won’t go into the details but please, when you buy ham, check on its origins. And if it’s too cheap, it’s almost bound to have been raised in a perfectly awful way.  Look for “Animal Welfare Approved” or “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” labels.   Don’t buy Supermarket ham unless you know where it came from and how it was raised.  That’s a promise I’d like you to give me in return for this recipe.

I can’t say that I miss selling hams. 

I’m free to travel and write. And anytime I want, I can haul out the recipe and make a nice big, beautifully glazed Monte’s Ham.

I send all of my terrifically loyal readers my very best wishes for the Happiest of Easters surrounded by your friends and family.

Here is the recipe for Monte’s Ham and Glaze:

Monte's Ham and Glaze

April 1, 2026

Servings: 30

Prep: 30 min

Difficulty: Easy

The ham that made me famous can make you famous for your ham too! Great for Buffets, big family gatherings and, of course, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas

By: Monte Mathews

Ingredients

• 15 lb. smoked ham on the bone
• 1 1⁄2 cups orange marmalade
• 1 cup dijon mustard
• 1 1⁄2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. whole cloves

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 300°. Trim tough outer skin and excess fat from ham. Place ham, meat side down, in a large roasting pan, and score, making crosshatch incisions with a sharp knife. Roast for 2 hours.
• Step 2 While the ham cooks, make the glaze. Combine orange marmalade, mustard, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Stud ham with whole cloves (stick one clove at the intersection of each crosshatch), then brush with glaze and return to oven.
• Step 3 Remove ham from oven and increase heat to 350°.
• Step 4 Cook ham another 1 1⁄2 hours, brushing with glaze at least 3 times. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest for about 30 minutes. Carve and serve warm or at room temperature.