Ree's Dr Pepper-Glazed Ham Is the Only Recipe You'll Need This Easter (2024)

FAQs

Do you cook the ham before you glaze it? ›

The idea is to wait until the ham is almost fully heated, then add the glaze as one of the last steps. You don't want to add it too early or the sugars in the glaze could cause it to burn, and you don't want to add it too late or you won't get that caramelized coating.

Possible tenderizing effect, taste enhancer, and will influence browning reactions on the surface (probably balancing the quick browning of all the sugar). Some cola brands are as acidic as plain vinegar!

If you don't cover your ham while cooking it will quickly dry out. Instead: Put some aluminum foil over your ham while it's cooking. It is recommended that the ham is covered for at least half of the cooking process and only removed during the last half when you glaze it.

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.

White Sugar

Yes, plain ol' granulated sugar can replace brown sugar! It's a straight one-to-one substitute, so for every cup of brown sugar called for, use a cup of granulated sugar. You will notice a difference in the end result.

With a few simple recipe modifications, honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar are all suitable replacements for brown sugar. Because these substitutions are liquid, you'll want to take into account how the extra moisture may affect the outcome of your recipe, especially when it comes to baking.

Glazes need a balance of the 3 main ingredients: Silica, Alumina and Flux. Too much flux causes a glaze to run, and tends to create variable texture on the surface. The texture may vary from shiny, where the glass is balanced, to matte where the excessive flux oxides may form visible, possibly lumpy, crystals.

WATCH: How to Glaze a Ham

Bourbon, apple juice, pineapple juice, or orange juice are delicious in a ginger ale glaze. Cola adds caramel sweetness to a ham glaze and can stand up to other strong ingredients like bourbon and cloves. If you'd rather not cook with alcohol, use apple juice instead.

Cooking a ham in cola will impart a slight sweetness to the ham, which is foiled by the saltiness of the meat itself. However it is only the outside of the ham that will really pick up the sweetness, it does not penetrate all the way through the ham.

What makes ham taste better? ›

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.

Heat oven to 325°F. Remove all packaging materials. Place ham, cut/flat side down, on rack in shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Heat approximately 18 to 23 minutes per pound until heated through.

Cover with foil. Bake 2 to 2½ hours or until browned and heated through (140°F). For the last 45 minutes of cooking, uncover and spoon glaze over ham (if you're using a glaze).

Both whole or half, cooked, vacuum-packaged hams packaged in federally inspected plants and canned hams can be eaten cold, right out of the package.

Most hams are already smoked or baked, are "ready-to-eat" and labeled that way and don't necessarily need to be cooked, at least not for food safety reasons. I buy Kentucky Legend ham, glaze it and bake it, but I'll buy the same exact ham and have them slice it for lunch meat and it doesn't get cooked again that way.

If glazing a pre-cooked ham it will need to be served cold, but still makes a great ham for carving. Using a small knife, remove the skin from the ham, leaving about 1cm of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern and it's ready to glaze.

Prep The Ham

Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush 1/2 cup of the glaze over the ham with a heatproof spatula or pastry brush.