Riesling and Red Currant Glazed Ham: A Symphony of Flavours
Get ready to delight your senses with this latest creation – the Riesling and Red Currant Glazed Ham, specially crafted for gas BBQ enthusiasts. This recipe is not just about cooking a ham; it’s about crafting a culinary masterpiece that’s perfect for any festive occasion.
We start with a high-quality pickled leg of pork and embark on a journey to transform it into a dish that’s as visually stunning as it is delicious. The centrepiece of this recipe is the exquisite glaze – a harmonious blend of sweet Riesling wine, rich red currant jelly, and the zesty tang of balsamic vinegar, combined with the aromatic flavours of fresh thyme and shallots. This glaze not only adds a beautiful sheen but also infuses the ham with a symphony of flavours, creating a taste profile that’s both complex and delightfully satisfying.
Cooking this ham on a gas BBQ allows for precise temperature control, ensuring that the meat cooks evenly while retaining its juiciness. The glaze caramelises under the gentle heat, enveloping the ham in a layer of sweet, tangy goodness that will tantalise your taste buds.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday feast or looking for a show-stopping centrepiece for a special dinner, this Riesling and Red Currant Glazed Ham is guaranteed to impress. It’s more than just a dish; it’s a celebration of flavours, a testament to the joys of gas BBQ cooking, and a tribute to shared meals and cherished moments.
Riesling and Red Currant Glazed Ham
DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM
FUEL TYPE: GAS
PEOPLE SERVES: 12 TO 15
- Prep Time15 min
- Cook Time4 hr
- Total Time4 hr 15 min
THE INGREDIENTS
- 1 uncooked pickled leg of pork, 6 to 7 kilograms
GLAZE
- 60 grams butter
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups sweet Riesling
- 2 cups red currant jelly
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Set up your kettle for indirect normal fire cooking method, using approximately 22 Weber Barbecue Briquettes in each charcoal basket. Light the fire-lighters and move the charcoal baskets to the center of the charcoal grate over the flames.
With a sharp knife, cut the rind around the sides of the pork, around the knuckle, and down the centre to free it on all sides, ensuring that you have cut right through the rind to the fat, but not into the flesh.
Approximately 25 to 30 minutes after lighting, all of the coals will be ashed over and ready for cooking. Separate the charcoal baskets using tongs. Place foil drip pans between the two fires (must be large enough to catch all of the drippings). Place the cooking grill on the barbecue with the grill handles directly over the fires.
Place the pork on to the cooking grill. If the edges of the pork are hanging over the direct zone (above the fire), shield the sides with aluminium foil. Close the lid, ensuring the air vents are open and positioned over the indirect zone. Cook for 2½ hours to blister the skin.
To make the glaze, combine the butter and shallots in a saucepan over high heat and cook until the shallots are cooked. Add the thyme, Riesling, red currant jelly, balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the glaze is thickened and caramelised, stirring often. Set aside to cool completely.
Remove the pork skin with tongs. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the flesh, as the ham flesh will dry out.
Top up the charcoal baskets with additional barbecue briquettes. Add three wood chunks to the coals. Continue to cook the ham for a further 30 minutes to render the fat before applying the glaze.
After 30 minutes of the ham cooking without the skin, decorate with the whole cloves. Apply a generous amount of the glaze over the ham and continue cooking for a further 1 hour, glazing the ham every 20 minutes.
Once the ham has cooked and reached an internal temperature of 68°C, remove the ham from the barbecue. The internal temperature will continue to rise 3° to 6°C while it’s resting. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
