Honey baked ham baked in a little pineapple juice and covered in a delicious and sticky buttery coating !
Let the holidays begin with a slice or two of honey baked pork! Soft and juicy on the inside with crunchy, charred and sticky edges. The perfect ham for the Christmas dinner table.
* Ingredients:
° 8-10 lbs (4-5 kg) cooked or boneless ham
° 1/3 cup pineapple juice
° 1 cup honey
° 1/4 cup brown sugar
° 1/4 cup unsalted butter
° ¼ cup whole cloves
* Directions :
Preheat oven 300°F (150°C) and arrange a rack in the bottom third. Remove any plastic containers or netting from the ham. Trim and discard the peel. Set pork aside to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper if you prefer (it will make cleaning a lot easier).
Remove the pork skin or skin (see the steps incoming next), making sure to leave the fat on. Using a sharp knife, get a 1 inch wide diamond pattern (cut no more than 1/4 inch deep) over the entire ham. Insert clove to center of every diamond.
Place the pork in the baking tray. Pour pineapple juice into the base of the pan, cover the ham with two pieces of tin foil or parchment paper, and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saucepan or saucepan over medium heat until golden brown. Add the honey and brown sugar, stirring until the brown sugar is completely dissolved (about 2 minutes).
Reduce heat to low and let simmer until it thickens slightly, then set aside and let cool until lukewarm (glaze should have the same consistency as room temperature honey).
After 15 minutes of baking time, carefully remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F 220 degrees Celsius. Discard the tin or parchment paper and pour one-third of the glaze over the ham, rubbing between pieces to coat it evenly. Returning to the oven also baking , uncovered, for 15 min .
Remove from oven, brush with another third of the glaze and some of the pan juices, and repeat again after another 15 minutes of baking until a dark golden brown crust forms (about 30 minutes total). For more flavor, mix some of the pork juices with the glaze in the bowl which will help keep it liquid enough for brushing.
If your crust is still pink after the suggested baking time, turn on the grill (or oven grill), and let it grill for 2-5 minutes, being careful not to burn from the sugar.
Enjoy !
