Ham Tips & Tricks

Glazing your ham
  • Prepare your favourite glaze recipe
  • Remove rind and use a sharp knife to score ham in a diamond pattern.
  • Place ham scored side up in a large baking pan and brush over glaze.
  • Place into a preheated oven or hooded BBQ at 180°C for 20 minutes per kg, basting occasionally, until ham is brown and warmed through.

Storing your ham

  • Soak a Ham Bag, pillowcase or tea towel in 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
  • Wring out excess water and place ham in the Ham Bag, pillowcase or wrap in tea towel. Store in coolest part of fridge.
  • Re-soak bag in solution every few days or when Ham Bag dries out.

How to Choose Your Christmas Ham:

Tips from Fleischmeister and master butcher, Horst Schurger:

  • Look for a natural meaty texture: avoid the wet or rubbery.
  • Choose a ham with a good smoky flavour. Ask to taste it.
  • Look for smooth, even skin and even colouring. If the knuckle is sunken, it’s overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it’s a sign of dryness.
  • Hams 10-12kg are most likely to have the best flavour and texture due to age of the pig.
  • For the best results, opt for fresh Australian pork rather than hams made in Australia from frozen imported meat.

How to carve your whole Australian leg ham

Step 1

Place ham skin side up. Then run a small sharp knife under the rind around the bottom (opposite end to hock) and each side of the ham to about halfway up. Peel the rind back.

Step 1. Peel skin back

 

Step 2

Run the tip of the knife around the bone, on the underside of the ham. Begin to slice on a slight angle down to the bone.

Step 3

Run your knife length-ways along the bone to remove slices. Continue to slice towards the hock.

 

Step 4

Continue slicing down to the bone, working your way around the ham until you reach about a third of the way up. Remove the bone by making a few short cuts at the joint.

 

Step 5

To keep your ham fresh, fold rind back over exposed surface, place in a Ham Bag, pillowcase or wrap in a tea towel and store in the fridge.

Blog Post reposted for education purposes with thanks from pork.com.au