Having company or family over for Christmas is stressful enough without having to spend the whole day in the kitchen roasting a turkey and preparing elaborate side dishes. Spiral cut ham is a great option since it's precooked and presliced. Just warm it up and use the included flavor packet to make a sauce.
This recipe for crockery ham with a beer glaze is an easy alternative to using the sauce packet, requires very little prep time and only a small amount of attention. Ham cooked in the slow cooker also works well for parties buffets, especially for the Super Bowl since it's so easy to put together.
Crockery Ham with Beer Glaze
(adapted from Heartland Cooking: Crockery Favorites by Fances Towner Giedt)
Ingredients:
- 1 5-6 lb. fully cooked ham, spiral cut, boneless (I buy a ham that I think will fit in my crockpot. If it doesn't, I put foil over the ham in the crock, then, if possible, put the lid on top of that.)
- 1/2 cup mango chutney
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
- 12 oz. beer (an amber style is good)
Directions:
- Trim any extra fat. Place ham on a metal rack or trivet in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove ham. Using tongs, remove metal rack from slow cooker. Pour off and discard pan juices. Return ham to slow cooker and place it on HIGH.
- Place chutney in a small bowl and chop up any large pieces of fruit. Stir in brown sugar, mustard, and beer. Dump the entire mixture over the ham. Cover and continue to cook for at least 30 minutes to heat up the sauce. Baste ham every 10 minutes. (If you have the time, keep the crockpot on low and let the ham cook in the sauce for a couple of hours or more. You cannot overcook the ham or the sauce. The more it soaks in the sauce, the tastier it gets.)
- Transfer ham to a serving platter or cutting board. Slice up and serve with the chutney mixture spooned over the ham. The sauce is also good on the mash potatoes.
You'll have plenty of leftover ham for sandwiches, ham and eggs, omelets and quiche.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Just stopping in to say hello and to congratulate you on your recent nomination at the BoB Weblog Awards 2004.
http://www.blogmechanics.com/bob