Make Noche Buena extra special with homemade holiday ham and a delicious pineapple glaze. With just five ingredients and a little patience, you can make this Christmas masterpiece that's sure to impress!
A Filipino Christmas table isn’t complete without the star of Noche Buena, the Christmas Ham! And wouldn’t it be even more special if you prepared and cooked it at home?
Making homemade ham is very easy and way better than expensive store-bought ham. You only need five ingredients, some meat netting, and a little patience to make a Noche Buena centerpiece that's sure to impress.
Homemade ham ingredients
- Pork - ham is traditionally made from the hind leg (pigue) or shoulder (kasim). You can use either bone-in or boneless, but choose one with a skin cap.
- Curing mixture: rock salt, brown sugar, and Prague powder #1 (also known as curing salt). This pink salt, NOT to be confused with Himalayan salt, is a preservative that deters bacterial growth and is recommended for meat that requires short cures and will be cooked and eaten relatively quickly.
- Pineapple juice - infuses the cured ham with additional flavor
Christmas Ham, or hamon, is produced by curing raw pork through salting (dry curing) or brining (wet curing). Curing time varies by ham type. It may take as little as a week, the usual curing time for holiday hams, or months to achieve the desired flavor.
After curing, cook the meat in pineapple juice and brown sugar, then simmer in a thick sauce for serving.
How to make ham
- Curing - the pork ham with the curing mixture, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days. Once cured, rinse the meat well and drain.
- Shaping- meat net, ham net, or butcher’s net is an elastic netting that can be used for all types of meats and cuts. It wraps the meat snugly, holding it together while cooking. Alternatively, you can use kitchen twine to tie and shape the ham.
- Cooking - place the cured ham in a large pot, and add pineapple juice and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Do not overcook the meat, or it will be too tender and might break when carving or slicing.
- Broiling - remove ham from the pot and cut the netting. Let cool, generously rub with brown sugar, and broil to caramelize.
- Making the glaze - continue simmering the liquid until it thickens into a sauce for the ham.
Cooking tips
- Do not use more sugar than salt in the curing mixture, or the pork may spoil during curing.
- During curing, the pork will expel liquid as the salt mixture draws moisture from the meat.
- Make sure hands and tools are clean when turning the pork to prevent introducing bacteria and contaminants.
- While the ham is still hot, remove the net to prevent it from sticking too much to the meat.
How to serve and store
- Homemade Holiday Ham is perfect for family dinners or special occasions. Serve with the pineapple glaze, alongside steamed rice, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and your favorite Christmas fixings.
- Use in other dishes such as ham and cheese bread rolls, sipo egg, and chicken macaroni salad.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
More holiday recipes
Ingredients
- 6 pounds Pork ham (pigue), cut into halves
- ½ cup rock salt
- 3 ¼ cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Prague salt #1
- 1 can (1.3 liters) Pineapple juice
Instructions
- Cut the pork in half, rinse, and drain well. Place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine rock salt, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and Prague salt. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Rub the curing mixture over the pork, massaging it in to coat. Transfer the pork to an airtight container.
- Cure pork for about 5 to 6 days, turning it over daily. Rinse and drain well.
- Place on paper towels to remove excess liquid. Place the pork in a meat net and tie it tightly to shape the pork.
- Place the pork in a large pot. Add pineapple juice and 2 ½ cups of brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the ham from the pot and, while still hot, use scissors to cut and remove the net.
- Let cool, then rub in the remaining ½ cup brown sugar.
- Arrange in a single layer on a baking pan and broil until caramelized.
- Meanwhile, boil the pineapple-and-brown-sugar mixture until thickened.
- Slice the ham into desired thickness and serve with the pineapple glaze.
Notes
- The pork will expel liquid during curing as the salt mixture draws out moisture from the meat.
- While the ham is still hot, remove the net to prevent it from sticking too much to the meat.
- The nutritional info includes the pineapple glaze.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
crizia marie says
love this home made ham ang mahal p nmn sa pinas ng ham this is a must try panalo this chiristmas season and even on all occasion d lang pampasko