A glossy, caramelised glazed ham with smoky edges and a bright orange, honey and Dijon finish. Sweet, savoury and a little tangy, it makes an impressive centrepiece without needing much hands-on work.
Serves: 10–12
Time: 3½–4 hours
Ingredients
For the ham
- 1 whole or half leg ham, about 4–5kg
- 2 tbsp whole cloves, optional
For the orange, honey & Dijon glaze
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves or allspice
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
- Prepare the ham. Preheat your smoker to 120°C. Remove the rind from the ham, leaving the layer of fat intact.
- Score the fat. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the fat in a diamond pattern without cutting deeply into the meat. Stud the intersections with whole cloves if using.
- Smoke the ham. Place the ham in the smoker and cook for 2½–3 hours, or until warmed through and lightly infused with smoke.
- Make the glaze. Add the brown sugar, honey, Dijon, orange juice, orange zest, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt to a saucepan. Simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened.
- Glaze generously. Increase the heat to around 190–200°C or transfer the ham to a hot BBQ or oven. Brush all over with a generous layer of glaze.
- Caramelise. Cook for another 20–30 minutes, brushing with more glaze every 5–10 minutes, until deeply golden, sticky and caramelised around the edges.
- Rest. Remove from the heat and rest for 15–20 minutes before carving.
- Serve. Slice and spoon over any remaining warm glaze, with fresh orange wedges alongside if you like.
Tip: Keep the final glaze stage fairly hot and short. You want the sugars to caramelise and become sticky without burning.
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