Want to ham it up for the holidays? Here's how
The holiday ham is a beautiful thing.
When perfectly cooked, the fat cap should glisten. When cooking ham, remember to score the fat cap, as this will allow your glaze to penetrate into the ham and you’ll finish with an amazing presentation.
For your glaze, there are many possibilities. I like to ensure there is something sweet, something acidic, and something spicy. Honey, brown sugar and maple syrup always make great glaze bases, but on more than a few occasions I’ve relied on marmalade or jam to deliver a sweet, tangy glaze to ham and pork. Many glazes don’t call for butter, but I like the added richness and flavour butter provides.
Just remember not to add your glaze too early, as you risk burning the top of your ham. I reserve the glaze until the last 30 to 45 minutes.
Robust spirits such as Bourbon and rum can also add dimension and flavour but aren’t required to make a delicious glaze.
GLAZED ROAST HAM
8 servings
1 10-lb bone-in ham (uncooked) 2 cups stock or water Cloves, optional
1 cup glaze
Preheat oven to 350F. Score ham in a criss-cross pattern, being careful not to cut through the meat. Stud with cloves (optional). Set on a rack in a covered roasting pan flat-side down. Add stock or water
to help keep the ham moist. Roast in oven for 2 hours and 15 minutes. While roasting the ham, make a glaze of your choice. Increase heat oven to 400F. Brush ham with glaze and return to oven, uncovered. Glaze every 10 to 15 minutes for the final 45 minutes.
Your ham should have an internal temperature of approximately 150F when removed from the oven and finish with an internal temperature of about 155F after resting.
Tip: If purchasing a cooked ham rather than cooking your own, read the label to ensure it's ready to eat. If not, you'll need to bake it until it reaches at least 145F.
Either way, you can still get the benefits of glaze. If serving a ready to eat ham, reduce your glaze until it covers the back of a spoon and brush over the ham as it comes out of the oven.
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
Sweet: Brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or jam.
Acid: Citrus juice, pineapple juice, or vinegar (preferably cider). Spicy: Mustard, peppers, cinnamon, cloves, garlic.
WHISKY MAPLE GLAZE
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup butter
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice
Combine Bourbon and maple syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce to a simmer and add butter and rosemary. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Finish with lemon juice.
TROPICAL RUM GLAZE
1/4 cup spiced rum 1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pineapple juice 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
Place rum, honey, and pineapple juice in a pot. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce to a simmer and add butter and cinnamon. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
SMOKY SOUTHWESTERN GLAZE
1/3 cup orange juice
1 chipotle pepper in adobe 1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
Place orange juice and chipotle in blender and puree. Place orange chipotle mixture and honey in a pot. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce to a simmer and add butter. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Add fresh cilantro (optional).
MARMALADE DIJON GLAZE
1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup marmalade 1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Combine orange juice and marmalade in a pot. Bring to a quick boil. Give a good whisk and then reduce to a simmer. Add butter and Dijon mustard and stir. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.