Ham preparation made easy

Christmas is just around the corner, and ham will always be the table centerpiece in gatherings. Don’t let ham preparation intimidate and prevent you from having a standout offering without the fuss. Basic baked ham is easy even for a newbie. Just follow these steps:

1. Brush ham with store-bought light syrup, glaze or spread prepared mustard all over.
2. Coat with brown sugar all over.
3. Bake uncovered at 350˚F for about 15 to 20 minutes or until sugar melts and caramelizes.
4. Rest ham after baking for about 10 minutes before serving and slicing. Place on a plate and garnish.
5. Drizzle glaze on ham upon slicing or serve on the side.

Here are some other tips to guide you:

1. Choose a good ham to work on if you have no intention of working from scratch. Depending on the size requirement, budget and ham profile preference, there is Purefoods Fiesta Ham 1kg and 1.5kg, Fiesta Ham Pre-sliced 1kg, Ham Slices 200g, Brick Ham 500g, Pear-shaped Ham 800g and Jamon de Bola 1kg available.
2. If ham is frozen, thaw in its packaging overnight in the lowest part of the refrigerator.
3. Whole ham is usually scored. Scoring allows glaze to brush over ham and penetrate during baking. To score, make diagonal cuts 1 inch apart on the ham surface, resulting in a diamond pattern. At points where the cuts intersect, these are poked with cloves and also decorated with fruits like pineapple rings and cherries. Decors are added after baking.
4. Whole ham is normally baked in the oven. If an oven is not available, options include using an oven toaster or turbo broiler, or searing surface areas of ham with a heated sianse (metal turner) until well browned all over.
5. Let the ham rest after baking so that the juices have time to be reabsorbed.
6. Purefoods Hams, being fully cooked, can be eaten also as is. Whole hams can be cubed, and slices can be rolled or folded and arranged on a board or platter garnished with dried fruits and nuts.

Try these #Madalicious ham recipes this holiday season—Purefoods Fiesta Ham with apple chips and honey-mustard glaze, and Purefoods Fiesta Ham Slices with pineapple glaze. For more recipes, visit www.homefoodie.com.

Purefoods Fiesta Ham Slices with pineapple glaze

Makes 8 servings  |  Glaze yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 (200 g each) packs     Purefoods Fiesta Ham Slices

2 tbsp    dried fruits (cranberries, apricots and/or sultanas) for garnish

2 tbsp    toasted nuts (cashew, pistachio and/or almonds) for garnish

GLAZE:

1 (227 g) can    pineapple chunks

1/2 cup    brown sugar

pinch    whole cloves

1 cup    unsweetened pineapple juice

procedure:

1. Prepare glaze by combining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. Roll or fold ham slices and arrange on a platter. Drizzle glaze on ham. Sprinkle dried fruits and nuts of choice over ham. Serve extra glaze on the side.

Purefoods Fiesta Ham with apple chips and honey-mustard glaze

Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

1 pc    whole Purefoods Fiesta Ham, thawed

1 pc    red Fuji apple, cored and sliced thinly using a mandoline

1 pc    lemon, juice extracted

pinch    cloves

GLAZE:

1/4 cup    prepared mustard

1/3 cup    honey

1/4 cup    brown sugar

procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Toss apples in lemon juice to keep it from browning. Set aside.
3. Prepare glaze by combining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
4. Using a basting brush, spread glaze all over ham. Cover ham with apple slices and secure using cloves. Apply another coating of glaze. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
5. Take out ham from the oven and baste once or twice during the baking process. Continue baking until apples turn golden or caramelized. Serve immediately.