Can I bake a ham that isn't smothered in sugar and fruit?
I don't understand why pork always has to be paired with sugar and fruit -- especially ham -- as this combination has always struck me as insipid. Does anyone have a recipe for baked ham that does NOT involve pineapples, apricots, apples, pears, figs, sugar, honey, or other dessert items?
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Most of the alternative suggestions listed on this thread do involve a sweetness - cider vinegar, soda, pickles and white wine all have a sweet undertone.
Ham on its own has a strong, gamey and salty flavor which is why people add something sweet to it - to balance out the flavors. I don't think I've ever had a baked ham that had no sweet notes added to it so it's an intriguing concept to try a straightforward savory ham. Do try and let me know.
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A little late, but I often just shower the outside of my ham with some garlic, salt, and pepper. I used a spice rib rub last time - January in fact - and that was yummy too.
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re: hippioflov
Here is a recipe for a Jerk spiced ham we had a Christmas, big hit. good flavour profile.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/magazine/r...
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My mom gave me this idea and every time I make a ham it comes out mouth watering tender and delicious!!
In place of all fruit or sugar, use a liter bottle of diet 7-UP. Make sure the ham is covered toughly, but baste often. If you like a crispy coating, leave the foil off for the last 10 minutes or so.›1 Reply -
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Will Owen
Dec 28, 2009 01:09 PM
I don't mind a good ham glaze, but the usual goopy brown-sugar thing I find kind of annoying, not to mention damned hard to clean up after. Some fruit preserves or marmalade, thinned with a bit of vinegar and brushed on, is just about right in my books. I think the one I liked best had that kind of glaze made with ginger marmalade.
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Absolutely! I'm with you, but would use a stronger word than "insipid." It's gross and a waste of great pan drippings. Why would you do that?
If you like fruit with your ham, serve some type of relish, pickled or spiced fruit, or chutney along side it.
The drippings and leftover ham/hambone can be used for soups and other dishes without having to wash off the sugary stuff. Ick!Actually most hams caramelize beautifully without a thing on them. You can score the skin in a decorative pattern if it pleases you. Serve with some good mustards and the skimmed drippings.
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My all-time favorite way to cook ham is to encase it in a rye dough and then pour cognac (or bourbon) between the meat and the case. It roasts in a very slow oven for a long while, and when you crack off the shell, the meat is so tender you could almost eat it with a spoon. The cognac gives the meat a nice "glow," and it is not icky sweet as with fruit.
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I am not suggesting this, but I did see Patty Labelle make a ham on Martha Stewart and she made a Dr. Pepper glaze. I thought Martha was going to have a coronary. It was priceless.
I usually use a mustard glaze with very little sugar and use mixture of hot dog and dijon mustard. Have also done an aged balsamic vingar glaze -- this was a Mario Batelli idea.
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No, there's no law, bodacious. A little sweet is always good with ham, simply because salty and sweet complement one another. But it can come from the sugars in onions, which scunge had mentioned, or other roasted or caramelized veggies such as carrots and parsnips.
The best ham I ever made (i.e., my friends still talk about it) did have fruit (Morello cherries), but you can skip that. What really made the ham is that it was basted in a spicy white wine. Wish I could remember which one--but I just started out with a little bit of it in the pan and basted it intermittently after the ham began to add pan juices.
I also did a ham once in a similar fashion using Champagne, while the ham rested on a generous bed of sliced fresh fennel bulbs and (simple enough) corn kernels, mixed frozen out of the bag with the fresh fennel. There the corn added the sweetness.
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I roast mine in a 350 degree oven just like I do a turkey. Not basting, no fruits, no glaze. If it's looking too brown, I'll cover it with foil.
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