Glazing a ham is an art form with the power to become a tradition that invokes nostalgia across generations. Choosing the right Christmas ham involves considering factors such as size, type and how you’d like to serve it. Here are my top tips:
Type of Ham
Ham On The Bone vs. Boneless
Nothing says Christmas quite like a Ham On The Bone. It reigns supreme in tradition and has an opulence reminiscent of royal feasts and medieval banquets.
Anything cooked with the bone has an enhanced depth of flavour and helps keep the ham moist when glazing.
Boneless ham has a more delicate texture and should ideally be served cold and sliced finely.
Ham Size
In The Realm of Holiday Feasts, Size Does Matter!
Opting for a larger ham is the secret to a season-long celebration of indulgence and joy. From center stage, ham transitions effortlessly to delicious leftover meals once the main event is over.
Planning Ahead
Order your ham in advance, especially if you’re after a specific type or size. Our hams are smoked daily and vacuum packed which means you can purchase your ham weeks in advance without affecting freshness. Just follow these tips:
When purchasing your ham, make sure that the bag is tightly sealed and that there is no air or liquid.
Store your ham in the lowest and coldest part of your refrigerator.
Ensure there are no sharp edges that can puncture the bag and don’t store items on top of your ham. The pressure can cause the bag to break.
Storage
Everyone Needs a Good Ham Bag
Printed with handy storage and carving instructions, our ham bags are the key to the delicious moments that linger for longer once the main event is over.
Having shared the key tips for choosing the ideal ham, let’s gather around and celebrate tradition by learning the art of preparing your ham for glazing.
Mastering The Art of Glazing Your Ham
What you'll need
- Traditional Ham On Bone
- Sharp Knife
- Sturdy Cutting Board
- Glaze Recipe of Your Choice
Instructions
Preparing Your Ham For Glazing
- Remove the ham from the packaging and place on a sturdy board.Using a small sharp knife, cut through the rind 10cm from the shank end. You can cut it straight or in a diamond pattern. On the rump end, position your knife about 1cm deep right under the skin and run it all the way around the perimeter.
- Using your hands, run your thumb around the edge of the rind under the skin, pulling it back gently towards the shank end and keeping the fat intact.Rolling the skin back with a little tension makes it really easy to remove the skin without disturbing the fat. This also helps keep the skin in one piece.
- Using a large, sharp knife, score the fat in either a diamond pattern or parallel lines. Personally, I like the diamond pattern as I like to use cloves. Be careful not to cut too deeply or the fat will spread apart during cooking. A great way to get perfect diamond shapes is to use a ruler to mark the lines and measure the width between each line. I keep a metal ruler which is almost sharp enough to score the fat if you put enough pressure.
- Depending on the recipe you have chosen, you can begin preparing your masterpiece.
Top Tips for Glazing Your Ham
- Andrew's Hams are hot smoked and oven roasted which means they're already cooked. Therefore only require reheating.
- Remove your ham from the fridge a couple of hours before you're going to glaze it. This will reduce the amount of time your ham needs to be in the oven and help prevent it from drying out.
- Put a bain-marie of water in your oven to keep the heat moist so the ham doesn't dry out.
- Make sure your ham and glaze are warm. This will help the glaze adhere to the ham.
- Just before serving apply a final brush of warm glaze for a lustrous finish.
Notes
Did you find this helfpul?
Please let me know if this helped you!
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Very helpful, thanks.
Have been glazing the ham for many years, never thought of a dish of water in the oven. Makes perfect sense, thank you.