Make Noche Buena extra special with your homemade holiday ham with delicious pineapple glaze. All you need are five ingredients and a little patience to turn out this Christmas masterpiece that's sure to impress!
A Filipino Christmas table wouldnโt be complete without the star of the Noche Buena โ the Christmas Ham! And wouldnโt it be more special if it was prepared and cooked from home?
Making homemade ham is very easy and way better than expensive store-bought ham. All you need are five ingredients, some meat netting, and a little patience to turn out a Noche Buena centerpiece that's sure to impress.
Homemade ham ingredients
- Pork - ham is traditionally made from the hind leg (pigue) or shoulder (kasim) of the pork. You can use either bone-in or boneless but make sure to choose one with a cap of skin.
- Curing mixture - composed of rock salt, brown sugar, and Prague powder #1, or what is known as curing salt. This pink salt, NOT to be confused with Himalayan salt, is a preserving agent used to deter the growth of bacteria and recommended for meat that requires short cures and will be cooked and eaten relatively quickly.
- Pineapple juice - infuses the cured ham with additional flavor
Christmas Ham or Hamon is produced by curing raw pork by salting (dry curing) or brining (wet curing). The curing process duration varies by the type of ham. It may be as short as a week, the usual curing process of holiday hams, or some take months to achieve the desired flavor characteristic.
After the curing process, the meat is cooked in pineapple juice and brown sugar and simmered into a beautiful thick sauce for serving.
The process
- Curing - the pork ham is rubbed with the curing mixture, placed in an airtight container, and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. Once cured, rinse the meat well and drain.
- Shaping- meat net, ham net, or butcherโs net is an elastic netting that can be used for all types of meats and cuts. It wraps the meat snuggly to hold it together when cooking. Alternatively, you can use kitchen twine to tie and shape the ham.
- Cooking - place the cured ham in a large pot, and add pineapple juice and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 1 to 1 ยฝ hours or until tender. Do not overcook the meat, or it will be too tender and might break when carving or slicing.
- Broiling - remove ham from the pot and cut the netting. Let cool, generously rub with brown sugar, and broil to caramelize.
- Making the glaze - continue to simmer the liquid until it thickens into a sauce for the ham.
Cooking tips
- Do not use more sugar than salt in the curing mixture lest the pork spoils during the curing process.
- The pork will expel liquid during curing as the salt mixture will draw out moisture from the meat.
- Make sure hands or implements are clean when turning the pork to prevent from introducing bacteria and contaminants.
- While the ham is still hot, remove the net to prevent it from sticking too much to the meat.
How to serve
- Homemade Holiday Ham is perfect for family dinners or special occasions. Serve with the pineapple glaze and enjoy with steamed rice, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and your favorite Christmas fixings.
- Use in other dishes such as ham and cheese bread rolls, sipo egg, and chicken macaroni salad.
How to store leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
More Ham Recipes
More holiday recipes
Ingredients
- 6 pounds Pork ham (pigue), cut into halves
- ยฝ cup rock salt
- 3 ยผ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Prague salt #1
- 1 can (1.3 liters) Pineapple juice
Instructions
- Cut the pork in half, rinse, and drain well. Place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine rock salt, ยผ cup of brown sugar, and Prague salt. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Rub curing mixture on the pork, massaging well to coat. Transfer pork to an airtight container.
- Cure pork for about 5 to 6 days, turning on sides every day. Rinse and drain well.
- Place on paper towels to remove excess liquid. Place the pork in a meat net and tie the net tightly to form the pork into shape..
- Place the pork in a large pot. Add pineapple juice and 2 ยฝ cups of brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat, cover, and cook for about 1 to 1 ยฝ hours or until meat is tender. Remove the ham from the pot and using scissors, cut and remove the net while still hot.
- Allow to cool and then rub with the remaining ยฝ cup brown sugar.
- Arrange in a single layer on a baking pan and broil until caramelized.
- Meanwhile, boil the pineapple and brown sugar mixture until thickened.
- Slice the ham into desired thickness and serve with the pineapple glaze.
Notes
- The pork will expel liquid during curing as the salt mixture will draw out moisture from the meat.
- While the ham is still hot, remove the net to prevent it from sticking too much to the meat.
- The nutritional info includes the pineapple glaze.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
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