Make the Christmas season for your family even more special by making your own homemade Filipino Christmas Ham (Pinoy-Style Christmas Ham)! This is something you will definitely enjoy eating as you will savor every bite of this super tasty cure ham.
Making it is quite enjoyable and really satisfying, too. It requires more amount of time than the usual dishes you make so it is definitely rewarding once you’re finished making one.
In this recipe article, you will learn how to make your own delicious, sweet and savory Homemade Filipino Christmas Ham. Impress your family this Christmas Season by making something special and unique. Continue to read on below to see some tips and some trivia about the Christmas Ham.
What is Christmas Ham?
A Christmas Ham is a type of Spanish food which is called locally as Jamon. In the Philippines, it is more popularly known as hamon, or as said here in the article–the Christmas ham–since this is usually served during the said holiday season. It is usually made by curing the ham.
Traditionally, it is dry-cured, but modern variations include the use of a brine solution when curing the ham, such as the Filipino Christmas ham. The popular ingredients included for the homemade Pinoy-style are sugar, salt, and pink curing salt for the brine solution and pineapple juice, mustard and some sugar for the glaze.
This dish is usually made and eaten in slices and is more commonly made ready to be eaten when bought in supermarkets and groceries since it can last long when stored properly. But we’re going to make this even more special because we are going to make our very own version of this.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ham
You will need a whole pork ham for this dish. You can either pick bone-in or boneless ham. If you want a leaner and easier meat to handle, pick the shank-end part of the ham.
Pink Curing Salt
Pink curing salt or Prague powder is one of the most common curing salt and this is also a widely available item. It is a combination of table salt and sodium nitrate.
Pineapple Juice
For this recipe, we will be applying a pineapple glaze to sweeten up our ham. And for this we will be using unsweetened pineapple juice available in cans.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like sugar, salt, black pepper, bay leaves and mustard. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot (Kaldero)- For the first part of a 2-part cooking process, we will be boiling the ham to fully cook and tenderize it. You need a pot or casserole big and deep enough to fit the whole ham.
- Oven- For the second part, we will be baking the ham with the glaze for ham to absorb it. You will need a conventional oven that’ll feet the ham and can be set up to 205 C (400 F).
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Filipino Christmas Ham
Making the Filipino Christmas ham can be quite a process. But do not get overwhelmed, as we will break down the steps in a way that you can easily follow.
To start: The first thing you want to do is to make the brine solution first. This is a straightforward step. Second, after you’re done with the curing of the ham, you are going to roast the ham in the oven or let it boil. And then you are also going to prepare the glaze.
You have the option to remove the skin of the ham before preparing everything, and that makes the curing time significantly faster (at least three days), but it can be quite a task since the ham is still raw.
The other option is to simmer the ham in boiling water once the curing is done and then remove the skin afterwards. It is much easier since the ham will already be tender at that point.
Cooking Tips
- Choosing a ham can vary because there are a lot of different types to choose from. Different hams are seasoned differently, and the flavor may vary, so you have to adjust the seasoning depending on the type you got.
- But if you have the knowledge of which ones are more plain than other hams, choose that so you have full control of what you want your ham to taste like in the end.
How to Serve Filipino Christmas Ham
As the name suggests, this ham is served during the festivities of the holiday season and a usual star of the Noche Buena. You’ll probably have some more dishes served alongside this so go ahead and pair this with a yummy macaroni salad and end it with a sweet Pinoy fruit salad!
How to Store and Reheat Filipino Christmas Ham
In case you have leftovers, transfer the ham in a clean food container with lid. You can refrigerate this for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to several months.
You have several option to reheat this (thaw first if frozen):
- Microwave oven
- Conventional oven at 175 C (347 F) for at least 10 minutes
- Slice it up and pan-fry each slice
Other Pork Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Filipino Christmas Ham Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 kg (4.4 to 6.6 lbs) pork ham, fully-cooked (bone-in or boneless)
Curing Ingredients
- 3 tsp pink curing salt, (Prague Powder no. 1)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup rock salt
- 5 pcs bay leaf
- 2 cups hot water
- 6 cups cold water
- 2 cups ice cube
- pepper, to taste
Glaze Ingredients
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp mustard
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a large container, add-in the brown sugar, the rock salt, and the bay leaves. Season with pepper as desired. Pour-in the hot water and stir until the ingredients are dissolved.
- Add-in the pink curing salt and pour-in the cold water and ice cubes.
- Add-in the ham and make sure that it is fully soaked. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 days up to 10 days.
- Discard the brine and then rinse the ham with clean water.
- In a cooking pot, add-in the ham, and the glaze ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the cooking pot and leave the glaze. Cook the sauce until it is thickened and reduced to half. Then sift the glaze to a container. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven at about 205 C (400 F).
- On a baking pan, place the ham and brush with the glaze. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until the glaze is bubbly.
- Transfer to a serving plate or serving tray and let it cool down. Drizzle with the remaining glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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