Grilled ham has a savory and delicious taste. In addition, its moist texture makes grilled ham a must at any annual event. Although grilled ham is usually served on New Year's Eve, you can still make it at any time. Fortunately, making grilled ham is not difficult. Making roasted ham only includes the preservation process, seasoning and roasting process. Actually, you don't need to preserve the ham first. However, this process can give your ham a runny, characteristic pink color.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Soaking Ham in a Liquid Containing Seasoning
Step 1. Soak the ham in a liquid made from a mixture of salt, sodium nitrite, and spices as a meat preservation process
Especially for ham, this process is not just to preserve it, but this process is also done to keep the ham moist and pink in color. If you have already purchased a ham that has gone through this process, skip this step and move on to step two, which is how to bake it.
Step 2. Make a salt solution to preserve the meat
While you can preserve your meat dry, it is usually wet. Ham is not smeared with salt and sodium nitrite, but soaked in salt water for one week. When soaked, the salt liquid will soak into the meat and keep it moist. Meanwhile, the salt and sodium nitrite in the liquid will kill bacteria and make the ham pink. Boil the ingredients below in 3.78 l of water, then cool:
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 1/2 cup pickle seasoning
- 8 tsp pink salt (not to be confused with sodium nitrite). Pink salt is a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite. The salt is pink so you don't confuse it with regular salt. If you use only 8 tsp of sodium nitrite, the results will be very bad.
Step 3. Put the meat in the brine bag
You don't actually have to use a brine bag, but it will make your job a lot easier if you do. A brine bag will easily fit your ham and seal it to keep it clean. Using a brine bag will also reduce the number of dirty containers to clean later. If you don't have a brine bag, you can use a clean water cooler (cleanliness is very important). In addition, you can also use a container that can accommodate the ham.
- If you use a container or water cooler to soak your ham, make sure you clean it with hot water. Ham will spoil if it is contaminated.
- If you are using a container or water cooler, then use a clean container to keep the entire ham submerged in the brine.
Step 4. Once the salt and sodium nitrite have cooled, put the liquid in the bag
Make sure all the spices are in the bag. Fill the bag with 1.9 to 3.78 l of cold water to dissolve the salt and soak the whole ham. Stir with a long wooden spoon.
Step 5. Soak the ham in a cool place for 1 day for every 1 kg of meat
You can put it in the fridge or in the cold basement. If you soaked 7.5 kg of ham, then you must soak it for 7 days.
- Remove the ham from the refrigerator and periodically inject the ham with the saline solution. Use a marinade injector to do this. You only need to do it once or twice. Inject the liquid in several parts of the ham. This will allow the liquid to seep into the deepest part of the meat.
- When you inject the seasoning liquid into the ham, observe the ham as well. The ham should not have a strange odor or have foam in the brine bag.
Step 6. After the ham has been allowed to sit for the specified time, rinse the ham with cold water
With this process, the crystallized salt will be removed from the surface of the meat.
Step 7. Dry the ham for 25 hours
After the ham is dry, wipe the ham from the remaining liquid using a tissue. Store ham in the refrigerator for one month before cooking.
If you put ham in the fridge, be careful with the other foods in your fridge. The fat in the ham will absorb the other aromas in your fridge. You definitely don't want the ham you serve at Christmas to smell like leftover risotto
Part 2 of 2: Baking Ham
Ham that has been soaked for a long time in the marinade will look beautiful on the grill. Choose light, fragrant wood chips such as apple tree wood for baking. Choose a seasoning that suits your taste to apply when grilling the ham. A simple spread of mustard and honey (or mustard and brown sugar). This seasoning will make the ham taste delicious as long as you spread it all over the ham just before the ham is done baking.
Step 1. Make your own seasoning
Grease is a seasoning that is applied to coat the outside of the ham. The seasoning is made from sugar and other spices that will soak into the ham as it bakes. You have to make it right. The sweet spread is perfect for hams that have been soaked for a long time in a seasoned liquid. This kind of seasoning will mix with the saltiness of the ham. Below is a recipe for making basting spices:
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Mix the following ingredients in a hot saucepan:
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup wheat mustard
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- Stir for 3-4 minutes until the butter is melted and the rest of the ingredients are evenly mixed. Your grease is ready to use.
Step 2. Heat the grill to a stable temperature at 121°C
While the grill is heating, gently slice the ham with a sharp knife to give it a diamond-like pattern. This pattern will look great when the ham is done.
Step 3. Bake the ham at 121°C for the first 2 hours
Start slowly. Place the ham on the grill without the fatty side on top. Cover the grill and let it sit for 2 hours on low.
Step 4. After 2 hours, raise the temperature to 163°C
Continue to roast the ham, observing the temperature using a thermometer.
Step 5. In the last hour of roasting, spread the prepared seasoning all over the ham every 15 minutes
You may want to rub the marinade longer, but that will make your ham look a little charred. Only go for it if you want your ham to look a little burnt!
Step 6. Remove the ham from the grill when the temperature in the deepest part of the ham reaches 74°C
The total time it takes to bake the ham is 5 to 6 hours depending on the size of the ham.
Step 7. Serve hot or store beforehand
This ham will last up to 6 months or more if properly wrapped. Enjoy!
