There’s no doubt about it, this is the easiest and best way to cook ham.
I was first introduced to the idea of cooking ham in coke by a Texan friend I met at university. The complex flavour profile of coke is an absolutely perfect compliment for ham, and does all the heavy lifting for you – think of it as a liquid spice mix. It just needs a few little additions to make it perfect…
And as for the glaze, I don’t think anyone has managed to improve upon the simple classic combination of honey and mustard.
Honey Mustard Ham in Coke
A modern American classic: Ham cooked in coke, with a honey mustard glaze.
Servings: 20
Calories: 136kcal
Ingredients
Ham
- 2 kg gammon (smoked or unsmoked)
- 2 litres coke
- 1 onion
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 tsp ground cloves
Glaze
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp english mustard powder
Instructions
- Place the gammon joint inside the smallest lidded cooking pot you can get away with. Pour the coke on top of the meat, then top up with enough water to barely cover.
- Peel and quarter the onion, and slice a whole bulb of garlic in half across the hemisphere.Add these to the pot, then sprinkle in a level teaspoon of ground cloves.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then turn the heat right down and cover. Simmer the meat for 2 hours, monitoring periodically to ensure it is bubbling away nicely.
- After two hours, turn off the heat. Remove the meat from the cooking liquid, and place it into a roasting tin. Leave to cool until the skin can be handled comfortably.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200c / 180c fan
- Use a knife to trim off the skin, and most of the fat, to leave just a thin layer.You can attempt to score a traditional diamond pattern in the fat, if you are feeling particularly brave or artsy.
- Smother the fat with a generous coating of honey.
- In a small bowl combine the light brown sugar and mustard powder. Use a fork to whisk them together and break up any lumps.
- Sprinkle the sugar mix over the honeyed ham, and pressing into the fat where it’s reluctant to stick by itself.
- Roast the meat for 20-30 minutes, until the glaze looks attractively browned.If the glaze is powdery in patches, use the back of a spoon to press it down into the fat, and a few more minutes in the oven will dissolve it away.
Nutrition
Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 20gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 1270mgPotassium: 333mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
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