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1
One hour before you begin, take the fresh ham out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you feel up to it, score the skin into a one-inch diamond pattern.
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2
Using a mortar and pestle, mush together the roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil and rub it into the meat.
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3
Take that sullen hunk of protein and place into a roasting pan, with the skin side down, and thrust into the oven. An hour later, turn it skin side up, and every half hour, rouse yourself off the couch and baste with the fat.
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4
About three hours later, the internal temperature should reach 160 degrees. Take it out of the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. The temperature should eventually reach 170 degrees, which I am informed is the magic temperature for pork. (It supposedly is more tender at that temperature than 160 degrees, they say. Who am I to argue?).
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5
Pour off the fat from the pan into a fat separator, and pour 4 tablespoons back into the pan. (Alternatively, pour off all but four tablespoons fat). Put the roasting pan on the stove, turn up the heat to medium and stir in three tablespoons of flour, four if you like your gravy thick. Cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, a little at a time, and scrape up all those wonderful browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce until thickened. Strain into a saucepan and keep warm. If there's some nice juice in the fat separator, add that.
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6
Summon the Spouse to do the carving, nagging him to keep the slices really thin. Serve with the gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet-and-sour cabbage, and make everyone confess their New Year's resolutions. Don't forget to toast to another great year!
