Turkey may be the star of the holiday table, but I would never dream of hosting a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without a ham as well. With both on the menu you satisfy everyone’s wants for a great holiday meal with both red meat and poultry, as long as you’ve got a good vegetarian dish somewhere in the mix, you’ve covered all the bases. Since these meals usually turn into a grazing frenzy later in the day, or at least they do when I host them, everyone gets to sample a little of everything before they’re done, and everyone leaves happy.
This year I picked up a spiral sliced ham by accident. I generally go for a full bone in shank, marinade it overnight in a combination of wine, onions, garlic and herbs and then cook it in an oven bag. It’s probably one of my most tried-and-true recipes to date. This year I didn’t have that option.
If you’ve ever cooked a spiral sliced ham, you’ll know that they don’t come out of the oven in a very attractive manner. (See images below.) The advantage they do have is the ability to soak up the glazes and sauces that they are cooked with, which enhances the flavor of the finished product immensely. Since pork and apple are the perfect combination, I chose to make a glaze from apples and Merlot. A choice that worked out incredibly well.
Apple Merlot Glazed Ham Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2139Total Fat: 77gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 968mgSodium: 14775mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 335g
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
Even though I’m not a huge fan of spiral sliced hams, I have to admit that this turned out beautifully, and that it is something that I would make in the future. The next time I may choose an apple cider over the Merlot, but even then, any good fruity wine would be enough to bake the glaze a wonderful counterpoint to the rich flavors of the ham itself.
I hope you’ll give this a go for your holiday table, it was definitely a hit at ours!
I love the idea of the apple, merlot, and cloves. Sounds yummy. We don’t normally have ham during this time of the year. If someone prefers eating that, then I encourage them to bring it since I cook everything else. I do love ham, though and will keep this glaze in mind. Slurp!
kellypea,
No Ham!?! Well, I suppose that’s OK. It really is all about tradition. In my family it seems that there is always at least one person that just has to have ham on the table, so over the years it’s just become part of my tradition.
Just give this recipe a go the next time you’re in the mood for some porcine goodness.
My mom is responsible for the ham, but I think I will have to suggest this recipe to her. It looks delicious!
I think I might have to try this! Looks really good. What’s the total cooking time for the ham in the oven? Thanks for the recipe!
Eleni,
Since most spiral-Sliced hams are fully cooked, just heat it until it’s hot all the way through. This will depend on the size of the ham and your oven.