Roast Fresh Ham
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 19, 2011
Time
4 hours, plus 9 hours brining and standing
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Roast
6–8 pound bone-in ham with skin (preferably shank end), rinsedBrine
2 cups table salt, for brining3 cups brown sugar, packed, for brining2 garlic heads, cloves separated, lightly crushed and peeled10 bay leaves ½ cup whole black peppercorns, crushedGarlic and Herb Rub
1 cup fresh sage leaves ½ cup fresh parsley leaves 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1 ½ teaspoons table salt½ tablespoon pepper ¼ cup olive oilGlaze
1 cup apple cider 2 cups packed brown sugar 5 whole clovesBefore You Begin
If you don't have room in your refrigerator, you can brine the ham in a large insulated cooler or a small plastic garbage can; add five or six freezer packs to the brine to keep it well cooled.
Instructions
- Carefully slice through skin and fat with serrated knife, making 1-inch diamond pattern. Be careful not to cut into meat.
- In large (about 16-quart) bucket or stockpot, dissolve brown sugar and salt in 1 gallon hot tap water. Add garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and 1 gallon cold water. Submerge ham in brine and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.
- Set large disposable roasting pan on baking sheet for extra support; place flat wire rack in roasting pan. Remove ham from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place ham, wide cut-side down, on rack. (If using sirloin end, place ham skin side up.) Let ham stand, uncovered, at room temperature 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Process sage, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil in food processor until mixture forms smooth paste, about 30 seconds. Rub all sides of ham with paste.
- Bring cider, brown sugar, and cloves to boil in small nonreactive saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1⅓ cups, 5 to 7 minutes. (Glaze will thicken as it cools between bastings; cook over medium heat about 1 minute, stirring once or twice, before using.)
- Roast ham at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast, brushing ham with glaze every 45 minutes, until center of ham registers 145 to 150, about 2½ hours longer. Tent ham loosely with foil and let stand until center of ham registers 155 to 160 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Carve, following instructions below, and serve.
- FOR THE SHANK END: Transfer the ham to a cutting board and carve it lengthwise alongside the bone, following the two dotted lines in the illustration above. Lay the large boneless pieces that you have just carved flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.FOR THE SIRLOIN END: Transfer the ham to a cutting board and carve into three pieces around the bones along the dotted lines in the illustration above. Lay the large boneless pieces that you have just carved flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.
for the roast
for the brine
for the garlic and herb rub
for the glaze
Time
4 hours, plus 9 hours brining and standingYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Roast
6–8 pound bone-in ham with skin (preferably shank end), rinsed
Brine
2 cups table salt, for brining
3 cups brown sugar, packed, for brining
2 garlic heads, cloves separated, lightly crushed and peeled
10 bay leaves
½ cup whole black peppercorns, crushed
Garlic and Herb Rub
1 cup fresh sage leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
½ tablespoon pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Glaze
1 cup apple cider
2 cups packed brown sugar
5 whole cloves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Roast
6–8 pound bone-in ham with skin (preferably shank end), rinsed
Brine
2 cups table salt, for brining
3 cups brown sugar, packed, for brining
2 garlic heads, cloves separated, lightly crushed and peeled
10 bay leaves
½ cup whole black peppercorns, crushed
Garlic and Herb Rub
1 cup fresh sage leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
½ tablespoon pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Glaze
1 cup apple cider
2 cups packed brown sugar
5 whole cloves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Roast
6–8 pound bone-in ham with skin (preferably shank end), rinsed
Brine
2 cups table salt, for brining
3 cups brown sugar, packed, for brining
2 garlic heads, cloves separated, lightly crushed and peeled
10 bay leaves
½ cup whole black peppercorns, crushed
Garlic and Herb Rub
1 cup fresh sage leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
½ tablespoon pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Glaze
1 cup apple cider
2 cups packed brown sugar
5 whole cloves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a flavorful, succulent fresh ham recipe worthy of a holiday table, we purchased a shank end with the skin on and scored the fat. Then we brined the ham in a solution flavored with brown sugar, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Starting the ham at high heat and finishing at low heat gave us a crisp, flavorful skin and tender meat. We finished our fresh ham recipe with a sweet—but not too sweet—glaze.
Before You Begin
If you don't have room in your refrigerator, you can brine the ham in a large insulated cooler or a small plastic garbage can; add five or six freezer packs to the brine to keep it well cooled.
Instructions
- Carefully slice through skin and fat with serrated knife, making 1-inch diamond pattern. Be careful not to cut into meat.
- In large (about 16-quart) bucket or stockpot, dissolve brown sugar and salt in 1 gallon hot tap water. Add garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and 1 gallon cold water. Submerge ham in brine and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.
- Set large disposable roasting pan on baking sheet for extra support; place flat wire rack in roasting pan. Remove ham from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place ham, wide cut-side down, on rack. (If using sirloin end, place ham skin side up.) Let ham stand, uncovered, at room temperature 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Process sage, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil in food processor until mixture forms smooth paste, about 30 seconds. Rub all sides of ham with paste.
- Bring cider, brown sugar, and cloves to boil in small nonreactive saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1⅓ cups, 5 to 7 minutes. (Glaze will thicken as it cools between bastings; cook over medium heat about 1 minute, stirring once or twice, before using.)
- Roast ham at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast, brushing ham with glaze every 45 minutes, until center of ham registers 145 to 150, about 2½ hours longer. Tent ham loosely with foil and let stand until center of ham registers 155 to 160 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Carve, following instructions below, and serve.
- FOR THE SHANK END: Transfer the ham to a cutting board and carve it lengthwise alongside the bone, following the two dotted lines in the illustration above. Lay the large boneless pieces that you have just carved flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.FOR THE SIRLOIN END: Transfer the ham to a cutting board and carve into three pieces around the bones along the dotted lines in the illustration above. Lay the large boneless pieces that you have just carved flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.
for the roast
for the brine
for the garlic and herb rub
for the glaze
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments