Uncle Rob’s Christmas Ham

A century old tradition the humble Christmas ham is a rock-solid go to in most Kiwi homes and on board. As such the supply and demand of the modern world now affords us the ability to purchase a ready brined, smoked, cooked, packed, chilled Christmas ham with very little fuss. The only thing to do is either glaze and reheat or use for cold cuts, or both.

A morning well spent in the Galley Gourmet galley, with today’s recipe. A simple but glorious meal.

 

Ingredients:

  • Ham (we prefer champagne ham boneless)
  • Maple Syrup
  • Chili Oil
  • Lime Marmalade
  • Juice of one lime
  • Smoked BBQ sauce (in lieu of your own smoker)

The measurements are quite rustic (think bucket chemistry) and according to your taste.

 

Method:

  • Whisk together Maple syrup, chili oil, lime marmalade, juice of one lime and a smoked BBQ sauce.
  • We were looking for a sticky smoky sweet tart flavour with nice heat at the back end. So keep adding till that silky sauce suits your palate. Just remember to go further than you think with the flavour mix as when you cook the ham all the flavours soften out.
  • Once the glaze is made skin your ham, and often it is as simple as sliding your finger and or thumb under the skin and preferably above the fat line and gently peel back the skin till all removed.
  • Once circumcut run a knife diagonally across the top of fat and into the meat at ten millimetre spacing and then again from the other end. You should end up with a nice square or diamond pattern across the top of the ham.
  • Place ham into a roasting dish and add half a cup of water.
  • Depending on how wet your glaze is either pour or brush on to your ham and then place on a low shelf into an oven at 160C fan forced for 2 hours.
  • Rule of thumb is 15 minutes for every 500gm of ham at 140C. This ham was 4kg. Every 30 minutes add more glaze.
  • At the end if you want to check internal temp with a probe, ham should be circa 60C-70C.
  • Now you can cover and rest (the ham) for 10 minutes, using the resting time wisely pour yourself a large medicinal Margarita or Bros’e.
  • 4kg of ham with a vege or a hearty salad should easily satiate a table of 10.

 

Meri Kirihimete from all of us to all of ewe!