Pineapple Glazed Ham - Salu Salo Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should you use fresh pineapple on ham? ›

Baking a bone-in half ham, cut side down in a lagoon of pineapple juice, means the sweet juice infuses the pork as the ham releases some of its saltiness into the liquid. Don't bother decorating the outside of your ham with fresh pineapple, as the enzymes in the fruit will turn the meat to mush.

Juice: Try using apple cider, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice or orange juice instead of pineapple juice. Spices: Mix up the spices by using ground ginger, allspice or cardamom. You can also stick some whole cloves into the ham if you like.

Whether you heat your spiral ham in the slow cooker or oven, all you have to do is open the glaze packet and apply it 30 minutes before your ham is finished cooking. By the time it's ready to serve, you'll have a satiny-glazed ham without any of the time or effort it takes to make a ham glaze.

“Typically, when you're doing a country ham, you need something sweet to neutralize the ham's saltiness, and pineapple does this really well.” And it's not just me and Benton: Pineapple shows up in ham recipes—atop the ham, in glazes slicking the ham, in shield-your-eyes versions of fried rice—the world over.

Salt triggers bromelain to begin working, so by the time the pineapple reaches your mouth, the enzyme has been inactivated, says Tunick. Dipping fresh pineapple briefly in a saltwater solution is the best way to maximize contact between salt and bromelain.

Peach preserves, hot pepper jelly, and maple syrup work as sweet bases for glazes that add sheen as well as distinct flavor. Tasty additions such as aromatics, herbs, and spices switch up a traditional ham and make it truly memorable.

Apple juice is a common ingredient used to keep a pre-cooked ham tender, moist and juicy. The sweet and tart taste of the juice enhances the flavor of your ham, too.

Because most hams sold at grocery stores are smoked and fully cooked, they only require heating before eating. However, glazing a ham adds that special final touch if you want to wow your crowd with extra flavor and texture.

Cover the ham to keep it moist! I've found that just tenting the ham with foil does the job. Keep it tented until you brush on the glaze. Once glaze in on the ham, remove the foil so the glaze has a chance to get all caramelized and yummy.

Ham should be stored below 4°C. Leave in the vacuum packed bag until it is required. After glazing or serving, cover loosely with tin foil or a clean damp tea towel, or use a ham bag.

How do you get glaze to stick to ham? ›

About 20 minutes prior to the end of cooking time, begin glazing the ham but applying it with a silicon brush. Continue to glaze every 5 minutes until the ham is done. The ham is ready when a thermometer reads an internal temperature of 135-140f.

Pineapple-Glazed Ham Ingredients

Pineapple: For best results, use canned pineapple rather than fresh, as fresh pineapple can break down the meat, resulting in a mushy texture. For a thicker ham glaze, drain the canned pineapple before using it.

If placed on the ham during the baking process, the ham will turn to a clay-like mush. "Pineapple belongs on ham," says Towers, "but you have to cook it first or used canned. If you use fresh pineapple it will turn the meat to play dough mush. Bromelain cooks out of the fruit during the canning or cooking process."

Honey and lemon juice

The balance of sweet and sour is key when it comes to replicating the taste of pineapple juice. Honey and lemon juice bring a great harmony of flavor that works especially well in sweet and sour savory dishes, sauces and marinades.

In many cases, canned pineapple can be substituted for fresh pineapple (and vice versa) in equal measure, which is good to know when you only need a small amount of pineapple for a recipe.

In the case of pineapples, the bromelain is actually a mixture of two enzymes classed as proteases that break down proteins. These proteases target the large protein molecules in meats (specifically the connective proteins called collagen), and break them down into shorter segments.

However, what many people do not know is pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain that softens muscle fiber. This enzyme reacts with the protein in the meat to break it down and increases the meat's potential to absorb more moisture. This is the reason why pineapple is one of the most preferred tenderizers.

Peach preserves, hot pepper jelly, and maple syrup work as sweet bases for glazes that add sheen as well as distinct flavor. Tasty additions such as aromatics, herbs, and spices switch up a traditional ham and make it truly memorable.