Ham - Sticky Glazed Asian Ham

By Maverick19

Ingredients

• Sticky Glaze:
• fresh ham joint (5 1/2 ham off the bone)
• 1 small handful of black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 in piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 star anise
• 1 large handful of cloves
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and squashed
• zest and juice of 1/2 orange
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar, solidly packed
• 1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp chinese five spice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Fresh ham joints can be very salty, so it's best to soak it in cold water overnight. If you're short on time, or just clean forgot to soak it the night before, instead cook the joint in a large pan of water for 40 minutes to get rid of excess salt. Remove from the pan and discard the salted liquid.
2. Weigh the joint to calculate the cooking time. Place in a clean pan and cover completely with water. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, ginger, star anise and half the cloves and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. The joint needs 25 minutes simmering time per 1 lb.
3. Thirty minutes before the joint is ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix all the glaze ingredients in a small pan heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 25 minutes until reduced and thickened.
4. Remove the joint from the water and pat dry with paper towels. Keep the cooking liquid (you can use it as the base for soup). Remove the thick layer of skin (but not the fat) from the joint. This can be tricky and often comes off in bits rather than in one large piece. Use a sharp small knife to score the meat diagonally, then change direction and score the other way to form diamonds. Stick the remaining cloves into the holes where the lines cross, then pour the glaze over the meat. Put the joint in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. It can catch easily because of the honey, so keep a close eye on it.
5. Once the joint is cooked, remove from the oven and cover loosely with parchment paper to let it "rest". This evens out the temperature and makes the meat more juicy.