Home-Cured Holiday Ham

1. Stage

Place kosher salt, brown sugar, pink salt, and pickling spice in a container large enough to hold brine and ham. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

2. Stage

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and pour over brine ingredients; whisk to dissolve. Pour in 1 gallon fresh cold water to cool down mixture. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

3. Stage

Score the skin side of pork roast with a sharp knife, cutting into the fat beneath the skin but not into the meat. Score about 1 inch apart, then score in the opposite direction to get a classic diamond-shaped pattern. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

4. Stage

Lower roast into brine, skin-side up. Use a plate to weigh down roast, so it cures fully submerged in liquid. Refrigerate for 1 day for every 2 pounds of pork (cure for 2 1/2 days for a 7-pound roast). Turn roast over halfway through the brining process. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

5. Stage

Remove roast from brining liquid. Discard brining liquid and transfer roast back to the brining container. Cover roast with fresh cold water to rinse off salt; let soak for a few minutes to overnight, depending on how salty you want your ham. Remove roast from water and blot dry with paper towels.

6. Stage

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

7. Stage

Add 1 cup water and 2 whole star anise to a roasting pan. Place roast on a rack in the roasting pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

8. Stage

Roast in the preheated oven until ham reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F (55 to 58 degrees C), about 2 hours. Ham will not be fully cooked at this point. If water has nearly evaporated, add a splash more.

9. Stage

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Continue to roast ham until the skin is browned and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees F (63 to 66 degrees C). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

10. Stage

Make optional glaze: Mix mustard, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Brush glaze on baked ham. Return roast to the oven for 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

11. Stage

Enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS