Fresh Ham Recipes

FRESH HAM WITH GREEN-HERB PASTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees with rack positioned as low as possible. To make the green-herb paste, combine garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube, and process until just combined but some texture still remains. Green-herb paste can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, until you're ready to cook the ham.
• To make the ham, you will need a large roasting pan; we used a 14-by-18-inch one. If you can cook a 20-pound turkey in the pan, the ham will fit; just make sure the pan fits in your oven. Arrange onion rounds in the bottom of the pan. Place 8 rosemary sprigs and 2 dozen bay leaves on top of the onions; this onion-herb bed will keep the ham from burning and will make an aromatic gravy.
• While ham is still cold, score the skin and fat: Using a sharp slicing knife, cut large diamonds, spaced about 2 1/2 inches apart, through both the skin and the fat. The uncooked meat should be moist and reddish pink, and the fat should be very white and smooth. Don't be alarmed by the amount of fat under the skin; it melts, shrinks, and crisps while cooking, making the meat tender. Using a paring knife, make a slit in the meat at each intersection; insert a sliver or two of garlic and a tuft of rosemary into each.
• Transfer ham, scored-side up, to pan. Using your fingers, rub 1/2 cup green-herb paste into the cut areas, over the skin and over the exposed end piece. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Tie ham crosswise in 2 or 3 places with kitchen twine. Make a bay wreath around the shank bone: Tie a piece of twine around the bone; tuck remaining bay leaves under the twine. Let ham sit at room temperature until no longer cold to the touch, about 30 minutes; if it goes into the oven too cold, it won't cook through. Cook ham 1 hour. Slide out the pan on the rack. Slowly pour 3/4 cup wine over ham; rub more paste into cut areas as they expand and release juices. Bake 3 1/2 to 5 hours more, basting with wine every hour and rubbing in more paste as needed, until an instant-read thermometer registers between 145 degrees and 155 degrees when it is inserted into 2 different sections of the center; be careful not to insert the thermometer next to the bone, or the reading will be incorrect. Cooking times will vary with the size of the ham, the weight of the pan, and the heat of the oven, so an instant-read thermometer is essential. While roasting, reverse orientation of pan for even browning, and tent ham with foil if the outside is cooking too quickly. Remove ham from oven, and let rest; the internal temperature will rise 5 degrees to 10 degrees more.
• When cool enough to handle, transfer ham to a platter garnished with rosemary and dandelion greens; remove twine. For easiest slicing, let ham rest 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard onions and rosemary; pour remaining liquid into a fat separator. Place pan over high heat. Add 1/2 cup water; once liquid bubbles, scrape bottom with a wooden spoon to dislodge any cooked-on bits. Cook until mixture reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove fat from reserved liquid, and add liquid to pan. Heat through, strain, and serve with the ham.

BRINED FRESH HAM

Steps:

• To brine the pork:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a large container. Submerse the ham in the brine and let it hang out for 3 days in the refrigerator. (It's a plan-ahead but soooooooooooooo worth it!)
• To cook the pork:
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the ham from the brine, pat dry and make slices in the skin to create a diagonal cross-hatch pattern.
• To make the paste:
• In a food processor, combine the rosemary, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, to taste, and about 1/2 cup of olive oil. Massage this mixture generously all over the outside of the ham.
• Put the potatoes in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate this whole shootin' match. Toss the potatoes generously with some olive oil and salt. Nestle the ham on top of the potatoes and toss the whole thing in the preheated oven. Check the pork in about 30 minutes, the skin should be getting brown and crispy. At this point, remove the ham from the oven and turn over, baste with any leftover rosemary/olive oil paste and rearrange the potatoes so they don't burn. Nestle the pork back onto the potatoes and return to the oven. Roast for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the ham from the oven after the first hour. Check the potatoes to see if they are getting a little crispy, rearrange them and add the chicken stock to the bottom of the pan to keep things really moist and juicy. Reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees F and roast for another hour.
• To make the glaze:
• While the ham is cooking, combine the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard and honey in a small bowl. Remove the ham from the oven and brush it, generously, with the honey mustard mixture. Return the ham to the oven and roast it for about 30 minutes. Flip it over and brush again with the honey mustard mixture (really slather it on the pork). Roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the ham from the oven, to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.
• Carve that baby and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve with the ham
• Go to town on that bad boy!!!!

ROASTED FRESH HAM

Steps:

• Place a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Trim skin and excess fat from ham, leaving a layer of fat. Score ham all over in a diamond pattern of 1/2-inch-deep cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and thyme, pinching and sifting mixture until thyme becomes fragrant. Pat mixture all over ham and into crevices.
• Place ham fat-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast uncovered for 1/2 an hour. Turn heat down to 350 degrees, pour 2 cups wine and 1/2 cup water into pan and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Continue to roast, basting every hour. Add water to pan, if necessary, to keep pan juices from scorching; bake until a meat thermometer pressed into thickest part of ham reads 155 degrees, about 3 1/2 hours.
• Let ham stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Pour pan juices and remaining 2 tablespoons wine into a small saucepan and simmer about 2 minutes. Turn off flame, add half-and-half, and serve with ham.

FRESH HAM WITH MAPLE-BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Using a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a diamond pattern, cutting down just through the skin to the flesh underneath. (If you are cutting to the right depth, the skin will spread apart a bit as you cut.) Rub outside of ham all over with salt and pepper, pressing it into crosshatch spaces between the skin. Put roast on a rack in a large roasting pan and place in oven.
• After 20 minutes, reduce oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and cinnamon. Baste ham hourly with mixture, as well as with fat from the bottom of the pan, roasting until the very center of the ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total cooking time. (Begin checking at 2 hours, inserting a meat thermometer into the absolute center of the roast.)
• Put the toasted pecans and candied ginger into a food processor and pulse lightly until crumbled and well combined.
• When ham is done, remove it from roasting pan, shower with pecan-ginger mixture and cover it loosely with foil. Allow the meat to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. (Its internal temperature will rise to 150 or more as it rests.)
• Tip roasting pan to the side so you can spoon off all the fat from the pan juices, then place pan on stove over medium-high heat. Scrape the bottom of pan to free any browned bits, skim any film off surface and season liquid as needed with salt and pepper. Pour into a gravy boat.
• Carve ham into thick slices, drizzle with pan sauce and serve, passing remaining sauce on the side.

FRESH HAM WITH ROSEMARY, GARLIC, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Set the ham fat side up in a large heavy-duty roasting pan. Use a sharp knife to score the fat in a 1-inch diamond pattern, cutting only about three-quarters of the way through the fat. Peel the zest from the lemon with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith. Put the zest, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste. Rub this mixture all over the ham. Cover the pan tightly with foil and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Position a rack in the oven so that the ham will sit as high as possible but still have at least 2 inches head space for air circulation. Heat the oven to 350°F. Keep the ham covered with the foil and roast for 3 hours. Uncover the pan and drizzle the vinegar over the ham, taking care not to wash off the coating. Continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes or so, until the ham is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat without touching bone registers 170°F (check in several places), 1 to 1-1/2 hours more. If the ham or drippings begin to brown too much, cover loosely with foil to prevent burning. Transfer the ham to a carving board to rest while you make the sauce.
• Pour the pan drippings into a bowl, let sit until the fat rises to the top, and then skim off the fat. Return the skimmed drippings to the roasting pan and set the pan over medium heat. Whisk in the wine, scraping up any particles stuck to the pan's bottom. Whisk in the broth, add 1/2 cup water, and continue to boil until the liquid is reduced by one-third, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, use a fork to mash the butter with the flour in a small bowl or ramekin to create a thick paste. Whisk the cherry jam into the sauce, then add the butter paste in parts, whisking until the paste is fully dissolved and the sauce is simmering and thickened. Carve the ham and serve with the sauce. Leftover ham will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.

FRESH HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325º.
• Rub ham well with soy sauce and then thoroughly coat with House Seasoning making sure to cover all surfaces. Sprinkle seasonings liberally until the ham is completely covered (don't worry about over-seasoning). Place uncovered in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 160º on a meat thermometer. When done, let the ham rest for a few minutes before slicing.

FALL APART FRESH HAM ROAST - OVEN ROASTED

Steps:

• Brine roast for 3-6 hours then pat dry. (Instructions below!)
• Prep your ham! Cut the top fat layer in a diamond pattern or in parallel lines for seasoning!
• Preheat oven to 350º
• Place ham into a 13×9 inch baking dish.
• Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides of your ham roast. Make sure to rub the seasoning into the diamond-shaped or parallel lines cup on the fat layer.
• Add 2 - 3 cups of cold water to the baking pan... The water level needs to come up about 1 inch on the sides of your roast.
• Tightly cover your shallow roasting pan or baking dish with foil to seal in steam.
• Place prepared roast into the oven for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145º. For food safety make sure your ham reaches at least 145 degrees internally! For a bigger ham roast, you should use less salt and a longer soak time. The reason for this is to let the solution penetrate the ham evenly all the way to the bone without making the outside too salty. Smaller hams require more salt and a shorter soak time. After 2 hours of roasting, remove roast from the oven.
• Turn the oven temperature up to 450º
• Remove foil from pan.
• Mix maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and bast roast with that.
• Place ham roast in the oven, and set the timer for 10-15 minutes of cook time. Baste roast every 5 minutes or as often as you like at this stage of cooking!
• After 10-15 minutes, turn the ham roast over and baste the other side, roast for another 10-15 minutes to brown both sides. (The water will ALMOST be cooked out, but there should be a little left for basting before serving.)
• After browning, remove your roast from the oven, and let it cool for at least 10 mins.
• For best results, use a spoon and take the remaining liquids from the bottom of your baking dish and cover your baked ham roast with them. This gives the roast back all those yummy flavors that have cooked down through the roasting process!

FRESH HAM WITH CRACKLINGS AND PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• With a small sharp knife prick the ham skin all over, make 4 parallel 1/2-inch-deep incisions through the skin the entire length of the ham, and rub the ham lightly with the oil. In a small bowl rub together the coarse salt, the thyme, the sage, the pepper, and the mustard and rub the mixture over the entire surface of the ham. Put the ham on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and put the pan in a preheated 500°F. oven. Reduce the temperature immediately to 325°F.> and roast the ham for 1 hour. Pour half the beer over the ham, roast the ham for 30 minutes more, and pour the remaining beer over the ham. Roast the ham for 2 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer registers 170°F., and let it cool on the rack in the pan for 15 minutes. Pull off the brown crisp skin, leaving the layer of fat on the ham, with scissors cut the skin into small pieces, and arrange the cracklings in one layer in a baking pan. Sprinkle the cracklings with salt and bake them in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until they are crisp and browned. Transfer the cracklings to paper towels and let them drain. Cut the remaining fat from the ham, slice the meat thinly across the grain, and arrange it on a platter. Keep the ham warm, covered.
• Skim off the fat from the juices in the roasting pan, add 1 cup water, and deglaze the pan over moderate heat, scraping up the brown bits. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and 1/4 cup of the broth until the flour is dissolved and whisk the mixture into the deglazing liquid with the remaining 3/4 cup broth, the mustard, the sage, the thyme, and the vinegar and pepper to taste, and simmer the gravy, whisking, for 5 minutes.
• Garnish the ham with the cracklings and the watercress sprigs and serve it with the gravy.