Spiced Cherry Glazed Ham: A Festive Delight
Welcome to a festive culinary adventure with The Outdoor Cook! As the holiday season approaches, we’re excited to present a recipe that’s sure to be the centrepiece of any celebration – our Spiced Cherry Glazed Ham. This isn’t just any ham; it’s a masterpiece of flavours and textures, combining the traditional with a twist of the exotic.
Our journey begins with a pickled leg of pork, carefully roasted to achieve that irresistible crackle, and then smoked to infuse every fibre with a depth of flavour. The star of this dish, however, is the Spiced Cherry Glaze – a unique blend of morello cherries, cherry jam, and aromatic spices like Chinese five spice and ginger, all brought together with a dash of port for a rich, complex flavour profile.
This ham, cooked to perfection on a Weber Q or any BBQ, is more than just a meal; it’s a festive experience. The process of basting the ham with our specially crafted glaze not only enhances its flavors but also creates a stunning, glossy finish that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.
Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or celebrating with close family, this Spiced Cherry Glazed Ham promises to be the highlight of your holiday table. So fire up your BBQ and get ready to impress your guests with a dish that’s as much a feast for the senses as it is for the soul.
Spiced Cherry Glazed Ham
DIFFICULTY: EASY
FUEL TYPE: GAS
PEOPLE SERVES: 15
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time4 hr 30 min
- Total Time5 hr
THE INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 6-7kg pickled leg of pork
- 10 star anise pods
SPICED CHERRY GLAZE
- 680 grams jar of pitted morello cherries
- 370 grams cherry jam
- ½ cup port
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
There is nothing quite like a freshly roasted leg of ham to celebrate the festive season. This ham recipe starts with a pickled leg of pork roasted until the skin crackles, smoked and then glazed with a sweet cherry glaze.
Prepare the barbecue for indirect cooking over medium heat (190° to 230°C).
With a sharp knife cut the rind down each side 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.
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. Roast the pork over indirect medium heat for 2½ hours to blister the skin.
Combine all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and place over high heat on the stove top; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced, about 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Blitz the glaze in a food processor until smooth.
If using a gas barbecue with a smoker box, soak wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.
Once the pork has cooked for 2½ hours and the skin has hardened and blistered, remove the 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. The skin can be discarded or eaten.
Now that the skin has been removed, you can add smoking woods to the barbecue to smoke the ham. If using a premium gas barbecue, set up the barbecue with a universal smoker box, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain and add soaked wood chips to the smoker box. If using a charcoal barbecue, add two to three wood chunks to the charcoal. Continue to cook the ham for a further 30 minutes to 1 hour before glazing.
After 30 minutes to 1 hour, using a basting brush, apply a generous amount of the glaze over the ham, decorate with the star anise, securing with toothpicks if needed and continue to cook for 1 hour, glazing the ham every 20 minutes.
Once the ham is cooked and has 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 to 30 minutes before carving.
Tips:
The final doneness temperature for cooking ham is 71°C.
