how2heroes » Brined & Baked Ham w/ Brown Sugar, Tamarind & Chili Glaze

Entrees » Brined & Baked Ham w/ Brown Sugar, Tamarind & Chili Glaze

Chef-instructor Yvette Taylor shares the best way to take fresh pork to perfectly tender fruition. An overnight aromatic brine gets the meat ready for roasting. Citrus, brown sugar, honey and chili form a glaze that's applied during the last hour in the oven. The result? Beautiful, glistening, juicy ham we recommend carving at the table to savor the reaction of your very appreciative guests.

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Serves 10-12

Ingredients

Ham

1 fresh (7-10 lb) ham, skin-on, bone-in rear leg (preferable), shank or butt

Brine

1 gallon cold water (or cider)
¾ cup sugar
1 cup Morton kosher salt
2 bay leaves
½ cup whole spice mix (suggestions - black peppercorns, coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard seeds)

Glaze

¾ cup orange juice
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp chili paste
¼ cup whole grain mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Equipment

large pot
pastry brush or baster to apply glaze
meat thermometer
foil-lined roasting pan with rack

How-to

Make Brine

Combine all ingredients for the brine in a large pot and bring to a full boil over medium heat, making sure salt and sugar are dissolved
Remove from heat and cool completely

Brine Ham

Combine brining solution and ham in a pot or container large enough to hold the ham and let it submerse in the brine
Cover and brine in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours (overnight) to 2 days

.Rinse & Ready Ham for Roasting

Preheat oven to 450°
Remove ham from brine and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine.
Using a sharp chef’s or paring knife, score the ham carefully, making crosshatch slices, cutting just through the skin and layers of fat to the flesh underneath about 2" apart. It should look like diamonds when you’re done
Place ham, skin side up, on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan
Place in preheated oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. The skin should start to get brown and crispy

Roast, Glaze & Serve

While the ham is roasting for the first 25-30 minutes, prepare the glaze by placing orange juice, dark brown sugar, tamarind paste, chili paste, mustard, soy sauce, honey and garlic in a small saucepan
Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and let cool; mixture will not thicken but that is what you want
After the initial 25-30 minutes of roasting the ham, lower the oven temperature to 350° and continue roasting
After a total roasting time of 1 hour, begin to baste the ham with the tamarind glaze using a pastry brush, every 15-20 minutes. Roast until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 145°F using a meat thermometer (the exact time will vary, based on your individual oven and the weight of the ham)
Remove from the oven and tent loosely with foil
Allow ham to rest for 25-30 minutes (while the internal temperature continues to rise and juices redistribute). Then slice and serve