It’s Christmas Eve! One day left until Christmas!!!
So what’s on your list for Santa this year? There are some things I’d like to have, but nothing I really need at all. If I get any camera stuff, hopefully readers will see the results of that!
So with it being Christmas Eve, I have a quick tip for those of you doing hams for Christmas. This will make your ham much more like that which is known to be baked with honey, if you get my meaning. Plus, you get to play with an open flame!
I took a simple spiral sliced ham and put it on my Big Green Egg at 225 degrees F, until it got to 140 degrees F. I didn’t need to go beyond this because the ham was already cooked, and I was just trying to add better smoke flavor to it.
As soon as I took the ham off the egg, I coated with with 1/8″ to 1/4″ of brown sugar. I didn’t use Turbinado or anything fancy, as I wanted the moisture in the brown sugar.
I have a small propane torch that I prefer over those pansy kitchen butane torches (and it’s much cheaper, and hotter, and cooler!). I put it on a low setting and applied the flame right to the sugar to melt it. I moved the flame around a lot so as not to burn the sugar.
The result looked like Jabba the Ham, but tasted great! Each slice had a nice amount of crunchy, sugary crust. The ham sitting in the fridge later also got a nice amount of sugary goodness to it as the sugar continued to melt a bit and combine with the ham liquid.
This was so good and easy, and gave me the chance to play with open flame, that I’ll do this every time I do hams.
So you have time to get a little propane torch at Home Depot still… If you’re doing ham for Christmas, run out and get one, along with a pound of brown sugar. You won’t be sorry! it will be the easiest improvement to your typical ham that you’ve ever tried. Even if you do your ham in the oven, this added step will be well worth it!
Along with the ham, I have been sampling Christmas brews from England. So far I’ve had Ridgeway’s Bad Elf, Criminally Bad Elf and Wychwood’s Bah Humbug. Bah Humbug and Insanely Bad Elf seemed to be a bit spiced for the holiday, but Bad Elf is a good old English ale, and my favorite of the three, if I had to call out a favorite.
Good idea! Wish you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Cheers!
Great idea – and have really been enjoying your Rudolf figures on your countdown. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Pete, I’m getting more of that ale today.. That IS a good idea! But the ham works really great, and it’s so easy and primal.
Heidi, thanks for the Christmas well-wishes. I’m glad you like the Rudolph stuff… We have a whole floor with nothing but that kind of stuff on it. There’s also a great couple of clips on Youtube.com called Raging Rudolph and the Reinfather, for those that like parodies. It’s a funny mix of the Godfather and Rudolph (not for the young ones!).
Have a GREAT Christmas!
What do you smoke a ham with? Will a cooked ham get a smoke ring?
Merry Christmas to all!
Nate,
I used pecan, and the ham is nothing BUT smoke ring already, so double smoking only adds a bit better flavor, IMO. But it does spruce up a store-bought ham!
Need to find a way to do this with no torch – maybe use the broiler in the oven?
Nika, I’d be afraid the broiler would burn the top and do nothing farther down the sides of the ham. I don’t know if I’d even try it without a torch of some sort.
I’m sure whatever you do will end up great, regardless… Merry Christmas to you and your family today.
What a wonderful idea. I love the beer too, it’s so cute! I’ll have to keep my eye out for it.
Good luck finding the ales… But look quick; I found one more Bad Elf today!