Ham cooked with basting spices is a main dish that is suitable for any occasion. This dish is easy to make, and there are a few tricks you can practice to make the meat delicious, tender, and shiny. Prepare the marinade while the ham is cooking in the oven, then spread it when it's almost done. Re-roast the ham for 15 minutes, or until the marinade is dry and caramelized. For best results, use a meat thermometer when checking the internal temperature of the meat to cook the perfect ham.
Ingredients
Seasoning Oles from Brown Sugar
- 1 cups (265 grams) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) orange juice, red wine, or cognac
Seasoning Oles from Brown Sugar and Soy Sauce
- 1 cups (265 grams) brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) soy sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Condiments of Bourbon, Molasses and Cloves
- 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) molasses
- 2/3 (160 ml) bourbon
- teaspoon (1 gram) clove powder
Spread Seasoning from Maple and Orange
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) marmalade
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) plain butter without salt
- 1 tablespoon (16 grams) Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground black pepper
- teaspoon (¾ gram) cinnamon powder
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making the Seasoning
Step 1. Prepare the seasoning after the ham is put in the oven
You will apply the seasoning about 15-20 minutes before the ham is cooked. To make sure the seasonings are ready for use when the time comes, start preparing them about 40-60 minutes before the ham is cooked.
Making the spread of spices only takes a few minutes. The spices that must be cooked on the stove also take less than 15 minutes
Step 2. Use a spread of brown sugar if you want something simple
To make this, simply combine 1 cups (265 grams) of brown sugar and 1/4 cup (59 ml) of orange juice, red wine, or cognac. Stir the ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Step 3. Boil soy sauce for added savory taste
Alternatively, mix *1 cup (265 grams) brown sugar, 2/3 cup (160 ml) soy sauce, and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a small saucepan and boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat once the mixture boils. Stir occasionally and heat for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes before applying it to the ham
Step 4. Mix bourbon, molasses, and cloves for a warm, rich-tasting spread
Place 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) of molasses, 2/3 (160 ml) of bourbon, and teaspoon (1 gram) of ground cloves in a small saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and stir occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes.
Once the mixture thickens, turn off the heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes
Step 5. Make a spread of maple and orange for a sour taste that pampers the tongue
Add 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup, 1/2 cup (120 ml) marmalade, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted plain butter, 1 tablespoon (16 grams) Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground black pepper, and teaspoon (¾ gram) ground cinnamon in a small saucepan. Boil the ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid thickens and only 1 cup (240 ml) remains.
Let the seasoning sit for 10-15 minutes before applying it to the ham
Tips:
If you don't have ready-made orange juice, substitute it with orange zest and the juice of two oranges mixed with cup (59 ml) of honey.
Step 6. Make your own seasoning
You can find thousands of recipes for basting spices, but making your own is actually very easy. Experiment with the different ingredients you have until you find the right sweet, sour, and salty taste. Make 1 or 2 cups of seasoning (240-470 ml). Leave 1/3 of the seasoning to serve at the dinner table.
The basis of a spread is usually an ingredient with a sweet taste (such as brown sugar or molasses), an ingredient with a sour taste (such as vinegar or orange juice), and a spice or herb (such as cloves or thyme)
Method 2 of 3: Applying Seasoning
Step 1. Bake half cooked or seasoned ham at 121 °C with the lid on
Preheat the oven, remove the ham from the package and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the ham in a heatproof bag and arrange so that the cut ends are on the bottom. Place the ham on a shallow baking sheet lined with foil. If you don't have a heatproof bag, cover the exposed ham with foil.
Cook undercooked or seasoned ham for 22-33 minutes for every kilogram of meat, or until the internal temperature reaches 43 °C. If you're cooking frozen ham, cook it an hour longer
Variation:
If you are roasting raw ham, preheat the oven to 163 °C. Place the ham on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pour cup (120 ml) of bourbon, cider, grape, or water into it. Each kilogram of ham should be cooked for 44 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 66 °C.
Step 2. Remove the ham from the oven 20 minutes before cooking
If you are undercooking the ham, take it out once the internal temperature reaches 43°C. 3-4.5 kg ham soaked in hot water and baked at 121 °C will be cooked after 1 to 1 hours.
- Leave the hot baking sheet on the cooling rack. After removing the ham, raise the oven temperature to 177 °C.
- If you are cooking raw ham at 163 °C, remove it from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 57-60 °C, or after 2 hours of cooking.
Step 3. Slice the ham if you are not using the ham into rounds
Make a series of diagonal incisions that are 1.3 cm deep and spaced 2.5 cm between one incision and the other. After that, turn the pan and make a diagonal cut on the other side to make a “diamond” shape. This will make the ham look tastier and will help absorb the seasonings into the meat.
- Ham cut into rounds are usually already sliced. So, you can skip this step.
- If you want, apply a whole clove to each part of the incision that meets each other. However, remember to remove the cloves before slicing and serving the ham.
Optional:
Before slicing and seasoning, some cooks like to remove the skin or fat layer that is on top of the ham. If interested, you can imitate this method and remove the skin of the ham with a sharp knife. After that, make a 0.64 cm deep incision on the surface of the meat.
Step 4. Apply a third of the prepared seasoning
Use a kitchen brush or spoon to apply the spices. Make sure you season the surface of the ham that has been sliced or chopped.
The sugar in the spread will caramelize and create a beautiful, delicious, candy-looking coating. Applying the spices too quickly will burn the ham. So, wait for 15-20 minutes
Step 5. Raise the oven temperature to 177 °C, then continue the cooking process
Put the ham back in the oven to bake it without the lid on. Bake until the spice layer looks shiny, crunchy, and browned.
Raise the oven temperature when you take the ham out for seasoning to allow the oven to heat up enough
Step 6. Apply a third of the seasoning rub again after 10 minutes
Work quickly when applying the spices to keep the oven temperature from dropping. Cook the ham in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the surface is crisp, browned and caramelized.
Make sure you watch the ham cook through the oven window to prevent it from scorching
Method 3 of 3: Serving the Seasoned Ham
Step 1. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for a while
Remove the ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, then turn off the oven. Cover it lightly with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- When the ham is set aside, its internal temperature will increase slightly. Pre-seasoned ham will have an internal temperature of 49 °C, while raw ham should have an internal temperature of 63-66 °C.
- The recommended internal temperature for raw ham is 63 °C. Ham that has been seasoned is sold in a cooked condition so it is safe for direct consumption.
Step 2. Make the sauce with the remaining seasoning
While the ham is simmering, stir 2 to 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid in the pan with the remaining third of the seasoning until it's liquid enough to make a sauce.
To keep the spread of spices warm, cook the spices over low heat in a frying pan, stirring occasionally
Step 3. Serve the ham to guests before slicing it
Top the ham with some fresh herbs, such as parsley or watercress, then flaunt it to your guests. Once they admire your cooking, slice and serve the cooked ham.
Step 4. Slice the ham to a thickness of 0.64 cm
If the ham you are cooking is still whole, slice it with a sharp kitchen knife. First of all, remove the cloves that you put on the surface of the meat. Then, make several cuts to flatten out the thin sections of the meat, then position them on the bottom so they don't roll off when the meat is sliced.
- You will see bone sticking out in the cut area. It's the thin side of the meat and you'll need to slice off the part on the reverse side that has the thicker meat.
- Cut straight down until it touches the bone. Make cuts of meat 0.64 cm thick, then make cuts horizontally along the bone so that the pieces of meat come off.
- If you purchased a ham cut into rounds, simply cut a section along the bone to remove the flesh.
Step 5. Serve the ham slices with the seasoning turned into a sauce
Transfer the sliced ham along with the side dish to a plate. Prepare tableware, then pour the sauce into a special bowl. Bring a plate of ham and sauce to the table. Serve guests and ask them to pour their own sauce.
Complete your seasoned ham with side dishes such as green beans, mashed or coarsely chopped potatoes, and roasted carrots
Tips
- Use ham, which is known to be the tastiest, easiest to cook, and inexpensive. This type of ham cooks faster and is easier to slice.
- If you are confused about the weight of the ham to buy, assume that everyone who comes will eat about 230-340 grams of meat.
- Don't buy ham labeled "contains added water" or "this product contains ham and water". The liquid that is added to the ham will reduce its deliciousness.
- To speed up cooking time, soak the ham with the package in hot water for 90 minutes. Shorter cooking time in the oven can reduce the effect of evaporation so that the meat will be more moist and tender.
- Store the rest of the seasoning for 7-10 days. You can eat it with fried eggs, sandwiches, or leftovers you have.
