Looking for a ham glaze that’s beyond the ordinary? This char siu glaze is so easy and tasty. This is one of the big-ticket items for your Christmas table, but you will want to eat it all year round. The great thing about this recipe is it can all be done a day in advance, and the ham can be served either warm or cold.
3kg (6.6 lb) ham with skin and fat
whole cloves for decorating
bread rolls, butter and mustard to serve
Sticky char siu glaze:
¼ cup char siu sauce*
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups orange juice
1 tbsp hot mustard
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
½ long red chilli, finely sliced
6 whole star anise
Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F.
For the glaze, place the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Set aside for later.
To prepare ham, slide your fingers under skin, working them between the skin and fat, loosening the skin as you go. Gently work your fingers all over the ham, removing the skin in one piece. Score the fat at 3cm intervals in a diamond pattern. Stud the points of each diamond with cloves.
Place the ham on an oven tray lined with 2 layers of foil. Generously brush the ham with the glaze. Cook the ham in the oven for 1 hour, basting with the glaze every 10 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven and serve warm or cold with bread rolls, butter and mustard.
Notes:
– Char siu sauce is a Chinese barbecue sauce available from major supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.
