Classic Mustard Glazed Ham

Sharp and tangy, Classic Mustard Glazed Ham makes a spectacular centrepiece for your festive table. Easter, Christmas or any large family gathering, there’s guaranteed to be lots of leftovers!

We’re still consuming our Easter Mustard Glazed Ham. Because it’s poached first, then roasted and then glazed the ham itself is moist, juicy and far less salty. It makes for amazing sandwiches. I suspect that today some will find its way into the freezer for later, appearing in breakfasts and cornbread muffins as the seasons shift.

Poach for the Win

As a cured product, any commercial ham is going to contain a considerable amount of salt. In this case, we’re using a shoulder-cut ham that’s been both smoked and cured.

Many would simply tent the ham and bake, using low heat, for several hours. While this method cooks the ham, I find it also leaves the meat tough and very salty. Instead, we poach the full ham in a big pot, remove the hide, score the fat, render the fat slightly in the oven apply the mustard glaze and roast – for a beautiful result.

To Poach: To cook food submerged in liquid; water, milk, stock or wine. Poaching is differentiated from the other “moist heat” cooking methods, such as simmering and boiling, in that it uses a lower temperature.

When we poach a ham before roasting, we submerge the meat in cold water, then bring the water to just under a simmer, for about three hours (depending on size) making for a tender result with less sodium and more flavour. It’s key to ensure your ham never comes to a boil or it will split the meat. So bring it to simmering and immediately reduce the heat to a minimum.

Adding a couple of carrots and onions to the poaching liquid creates a layer of sweetness. A few peppercorns lend seasoning and bay leaves impart both aroma and flavour. Once your ham is finished, these elements create a deep stock that can be used in soups, stews or in a big pot of baked beans (which I believe, is where the two litres of ham stock I froze will end up).

Savoury Glaze vs. Sweet Glaze

Many glazed ham recipes lean sweet. Maple, honey or brown sugar glazing creates a beautiful dark hue to the surface of the ham and an almost candy-like coating.

A Mustard Glazed Ham is slightly punchy thanks to both the prepared Dijon Mustard and dry mustard which we use in the glaze. In this recipe, we used both flat and whole mustard, for a bit of texture and thinned the mustard glaze slightly with water to make it easier to spread.

We also tend to score the fat more deeply before glazing with a savoury glaze so that the mustard comes in contact with the meat below. The result is a mustard-coated crust that bakes on in the final stage of cooking, permitting the fat, into the meat. Altogether a delicious outcome.

Passive Cooking Makes Life Easy

Cooking large joints of meat is always time-consuming, they take some extra planning and a bit of kitchen prep, but once they get going you don’t have to stand by the stove all day. Once your Mustard Glazed Ham gets going, particularly as it’s poaching, just let it be.

There are often plenty of other tasks involved in big, festive meals so once my ham is set to simmer, I set a timer and check it once an hour. I often use little timers that clip to my shirt or apron if I’m stepping outside the kitchen. My cell phone often acts as a timer as well. It can be so easy to lose track of time when you’re busy living your amazing life.

Or napping.

@thefoodgypsy

Mustard Glazed Ham, coated it tangy Dijon it’s the perfect centrepiece to your celebration! #ham #hamrecipe #mustard #fyp

♬ Pennies From Heaven – Remastered – Louis Prima

Done Like Ham Dinner

You’ll know your ham is done if you can easily pierce the ham with a carving fork (which is dam handy to lift it out of the water). Once it goes into the oven, it needs a bit of babysitting, as you shift it back and forth, coating it with the tangy mustard glaze – being sure not to burn your mustard – so it comes out a beautiful golden brown.

Then you can do what I do and insist on helping hands to carve and serve. I mean, after all, you did all the hard stuff! Celebrate. And… have a ham sandwich!