Cured country ham is a popular main course for holiday dinners.
Country hams are a wonderful treat, and are often served at holiday meals for Christmas or Easter. Country cured hams are brined in a salt water solution, and often smoked to cure them. While these hams can be salty and dry, they make a wonderfully delicious dish when you take the time to prepare them the right way. Follow the tips below to prepare and cook a delicious baked ham with cranberry glaze.
Instructions
1. Cured hams are very salty and require soaking.
Remove the salt on your ham by soaking it for two days. You'll want to keep the ham cold, but not as cold as your fridge. Use a cooler with water around 40 degrees F - any warmer can cause more bacterial growth, and change the water every eight to-10 hours. Be sure to scrape off any mold that may have gotten on the ham during the brining period prior to soaking. If your ham is already cooked, you may skip this step.
2. Use a meat thermometer to tell you when ham reaches 140 degrees F.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the ham with freshly ground pepper and ground coriander. Place the ham on a large roasting pan and add 3 cups of the cider and cinnamon sticks to the pan. Roast for 5 to 6 hours, until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Remove the ham from the oven and transfer it to a large platter. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly over the ham to keep it warm. Pour pan juices through a mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. Return the ham to the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
3. Use good quality cider for the best tasting glaze.
Skim the fat from the strained pan juices and add additional cider, if necessary, to make 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Pour into a large saucepan and add dried cranberries. Place over medium high heat on the stove and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes until the dried cranberries rehydrate and liquid becomes syrupy, like a glaze.
4. Brush the ham with a 1/2 cup glaze. Return to the oven and roast 30 to 60 minutes longer, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
5. Stir half of the thyme and parsley into the cranberry glaze. Place the pork on a platter, and spoon some of the glaze over the pork. Top with the rest of the thyme and parsley. Recipe serves eight, with ample leftovers.
Tags: temperature degrees, cranberry glaze, degrees Remove, degrees Remove from, dried cranberries
