Home Cured Holiday Ham - How to Make a Ham - Christmas Ham Recipe

brown sugar

🥗Healthier: coconut sugar

💰Cheaper: white sugar

Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index.

honey

🥗Healthier: agave syrup

💰Cheaper: maple syrup

Agave syrup is lower in calories.

pineapple juice

🥗Healthier: fresh pineapple

💰Cheaper: canned pineapple

Fresh pineapple adds more vibrant flavor.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: liquid aminos

Tamari is gluten-free, maintaining umami flavor.

Mix kosher salt, brown sugar, and pickling spice in a large container for brining.

Add pink salt to the mixture.

Boil 2 quarts of water and pour it over the brine ingredients to dissolve them.

Add 1 gallon of fresh cold water to the dissolved brine to cool it down and adjust the salt concentration.

Score the skin of the picnic shoulder about 1 inch apart in a diamond pattern.

Carefully lower the scored pork into the cooled brine.

Weigh down the pork with a plate or cooling rack to keep it submerged in the brine.

Refrigerate the pork in the brine for 5 days, flipping it over once halfway through.

After 5 days, remove the pork from the brine and rinse it in cold water for a few minutes.

Dry the pork off and prepare for roasting by placing it on a rack in a roasting pan with water in the bottom.

Roast the pork in a 325°F oven for a couple of hours until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°F.

Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 145-150°F.

Brush the pork with maple mustard glaze and return it to the oven for 5 minutes.

If there are any bare spots, add more glaze and cover with crispy skin from the side.

Slice the ham to reveal the moist and juicy meat.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: