Holiday Hams of the World
Sweden crusts its Christmas ham with mustard, Galicia simmers lacon with greens, Austria bakes ham inside bread and the Philippines glazes hamon with pineapple. In America the holiday ham became the spiral-sliced, sugar-glazed centerpiece of Easter and Christmas tables, while Virginia kept its salt-cured country ham. Every one is here step by step, with USDA's safe temperatures.
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Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham
The American holiday centerpiece: a fully cooked spiral ham heated gently under foil, then brushed twice with a glaze of dark brown sugar, grainy mustard, cider vinegar and fresh orange until it is sticky and glossy.
Virginia Country Ham, Soaked and Simmered
A dry-cured, aged country ham scrubbed, soaked overnight, held just below a simmer until tender, then rubbed with brown sugar and dry mustard and glazed in a hot oven, for paper-thin slices on biscuits.
Slow-Roasted Fresh Ham
The leg before it becomes ham: an uncured, bone-in fresh ham salted overnight with brown sugar, rosemary and thyme, roasted slowly in an oven bag and finished with a maple, molasses and mustard glaze.
Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
The mid-century "Hawaiian" ham: a spiral ham pinned all over with canned pineapple rings, wrapped tight and baked low, then roasted hot with a brown sugar, pineapple juice and two-mustard glaze until sticky and golden.
Crackly Honey-Glazed Spiral Ham (Copycat)
A spiral ham heated under foil with honey, then coated in a spiced sugar and melted with a kitchen torch or the broiler into a thin, crackly shell. Inspired by the HoneyBaked Ham Company's famous store ham; not official.
Senate Navy Bean Soup with the Leftover Ham Bone
The soup the US Senate restaurant has served for more than a century: dried navy beans simmered three hours with a meaty leftover ham bone, finished with diced ham and onion browned in butter.
Skillet Ham Steak with Maple Red-Eye Gravy
A bone-in ham steak browned in bacon fat, then a quick pan gravy of broth, maple syrup and espresso powder, swirled with butter: the Southern country breakfast classic as a 30 minute dinner.
Swedish Christmas Ham with Mustard Crust (Julskinka)
Sweden's Christmas ham: a cured ham simmered gently until 158°F, cooled, then spread with egg, two mustards and sugar, dusted with breadcrumbs and baked hot into a golden crust, served cold on the julbord with the broth saved for dipping bread.
Galician Cured Pork Shoulder with Turnip Greens (Lacón con Grelos)
Galicia's Carnival feast: a whole salt-cured pork foreleg soaked for two days, boiled until it falls from the bone, and served with chorizo, potatoes and turnip greens cooked in the same broth.
Ham Baked in Bread Dough (Schinken im Brotteig)
The Viennese Easter ham: a cured ham simmered with caraway, fennel and coriander, wrapped in a rye and wheat bread dough with a braided top, and baked until the crust is dark and the ham inside is steaming.
Filipino Christmas Ham with Pineapple Glaze (Hamon)
The Noche Buena ham: a bone-in ham poached for an hour in pineapple juice and brown sugar, scored, spread thickly with pineapple jam and baked hot until dark and glossy.
British Gammon Simmered in Cola with Treacle and Mustard Glaze
A mild-cure gammon joint simmered for over two hours in cola with an onion, then skinned, studded with cloves, painted with black treacle, patted with mustard powder and demerara sugar and blasted in a very hot oven.