Equipment
Ingredients
Ham
- 4000 g bone-in spiral-cut smoked ham, room temperature
- 240 ml water
Fresh Pineapple Component
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
Sweet-Tart Glaze
- 240 ml pineapple juice
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 60 ml apple cider vinegar
- 30 g dijon mustard
- 15 g fresh ginger, grated
- 10 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 575 kcal
- Protein
- 62 g
- Carbohydrates
- 62 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 58 g
- Sodium
- 3568 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 167 mg
- Potassium
- 1250 mg
- Calcium
- 51 mg
- Iron
- 3.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 82 mg
- Phosphorus
- 963 mg
- Zinc
- 6.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 43 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 49 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.95 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.66 mg
- Niacin
- 21.0 mg
- Folate
- 26 mcg
- Water
- 330 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Remove the ham from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 165°C/325°F.
In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, dark brown sugar, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, grated ginger, whole cloves, and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half and syrupy, about 15-20 minutes. Strain out the solids and set aside.
Place the ham cut-side down in the roasting pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan (this creates steam to prevent drying). Cover the ham tightly with aluminum foil to seal in moisture.
Bake the ham covered for approximately 12-15 minutes per 500g (1 lb), or until the internal temperature reaches roughly 45°C/110°F. For a 4kg ham, this is about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven and increase oven temperature to 220°C/425°F. Discard the foil. Brush the ham generously with the glaze. Arrange the fresh pineapple wedges around the base of the ham and tuck a few pieces between the spiral slices if space permits.
Return the pan to the oven uncovered. Roast for 15-20 minutes, basting with pan juices and more glaze halfway through, until the glaze is caramelized, the pineapple is tender, and the internal temperature of the ham reaches 60°C/140°F.
Remove from oven and let the ham rest for at least 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute. Serve with the roasted pineapple wedges.
Chef's Notes
- Select a 'city ham' (wet-cured and smoked), not a country ham (dry-cured and very salty) or a fresh ham (raw pork leg).
- Fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which tenderizes meat. While perfect for this roasting method, do not prep this dish the night before and let the raw fruit sit on the meat, or the texture may become mushy.
- If using a spiral-cut ham, avoid glazing between the slices until the very end, or the sugars may act as a glue, making it difficult to pull the slices apart later.
- Save the ham bone! It is culinary gold for making split pea soup or flavoring a pot of collard greens later in the week.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store slices in an airtight container with leftover glaze poured over to keep moist.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze thick slices or the ham bone separately for soup stocks.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water or broth at 150°C/300°F until warm.
Troubleshooting
Ham is dry
Cause: Overcooked or not covered tightly enough during the initial bake
Fix: Slice the meat and soak it in warm ham stock or diluted glaze for 10 minutes before serving
Prevention: Use a meat thermometer and ensure the foil seal is airtight during the first phase
Glaze is burning before ham is hot
Cause: Oven temperature too high or sugar content too high in glaze
Fix: Cover the dark spots loosely with a small piece of foil to deflect heat
Prevention: Apply glaze only in the final 20 minutes of cooking
Cultural Context
The tradition of serving ham for Easter and spring holidays typically stems from historical curing cycles, where hams cured over the winter were ready to eat in early spring. The addition of pineapple became a mid-20th-century American icon, symbolizing hospitality and modern convenience, though this recipe returns to the root by utilizing fresh fruit.
