Cooking hams - theépicier

Ham is THE traditional dish to serve your guests on Easter Sunday. There are several cured, smoked, and cooked products available at l’épicier, but did you know that you can replicate the taste and texture of ham with certain cuts of raw pork? Here's our complete ham preparation guide, with a bonus technique for turning a cut of pork you might already have in the freezer into ham!

Prepared ham is very easy to cook if you already have it on hand and know your favorite recipe by heart. Already seasoned, all you need to do is add liquid and extra herbs, and voilà! Into the oven. For all precooked hams, make sure the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C).

Here are our tips for cooking ready-to-use hams from l’épicier.

Desalt your ham!

Ham is a relatively salty cured meat. To reduce its sodium content and prevent the salt from overpowering the other flavors, we recommend a desalting step before starting any of the following recipes.

Simply place the ham in a pot large enough to cover it with cold water. Bring the ham to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Repeat this step a second time to ensure you remove as much salt as possible. You can then prepare your ham according to your chosen recipe!

Boneless, smoked and cooked ham leg

Here are the ingredients you will need to cook this piece of meat:

1 boneless ham leg, about 1,5 kg
1 / 4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Water, beer or cider (your choice)

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground black pepper.

Place the ham leg in a large ovenproof casserole dish and pour the sauce over it, then add enough liquid to cover the ham halfway up.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 2 hours, basting the meat occasionally.

After 2 hours of baking, remove the foil and let the ham roast thoroughly, about 30 minutes longer. (This is where you can add pineapple slices and maraschino cherries on toothpicks for a more classic ham look.) Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

plate of pork loin garnished with vegetables

Cooked shoulder ham, maple smoked (Picnic)

The texture of this maple-smoked shoulder ham is simply divine! The meat is so tender and juicy after slow cooking in the oven that its fibers fall apart when you separate the pieces with a fork. Be sure to glaze the ham a few times toward the end of cooking to build a golden, crispy crust on the outside.

A ham shoulder weighing between five and eight pounds should be cooked in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes per pound.

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
Place your ham in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Add 3 1/2 cups of cider, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 2 bay leaves. Season with pepper to taste and mix well. Then, brush the ham with 2 tablespoons of whole-grain mustard and sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Add enough water to cover the ham halfway.
Bake for 3 to 4 hours, basting the ham every hour. Let your creation cool for at least 15 minutes after removing it from the oven before slicing and serving.

Ham with bone, cooked, smoked

This ham cooking technique applies to this cut, with or without hay! A little getaway to a local farmer's can be a nice way to enjoy the nice weather that returns in spring.

Janette's Ham with Hay

Start by forming a nest of hay in the bottom of a large saucepan or casserole dish. Place the ham on it and cover it with hay.
Pour enough cold water to cover the ham, then cover it and let everything simmer over very low heat, without bringing to a boil, allowing 20 to 25 minutes per pound of meat.
Let the ham rest in the cooking water until serving.

Ham steak, cooked, smoked

Ham steak is incredibly handy for whipping up a quick meal, as it cooks very fast. You can simply roast it and serve it with maple syrup or mustard, alongside all the classic Easter brunch staples: potatoes, baked beans, pea soup, and a good cup of coffee! Southern Americans have invented a simple yet surprisingly delicious recipe to take this flavor combination a step further…

The ingredient list is short: a thick slice of good ham, and half a cup of strong, boiling black coffee! Red Eye Gravy combines the bitter flavor of coffee with the sweet and salty taste of delicious ham fat. Try it—it's a fantastic contrast!

In a skillet, roast the slice of ham in its own released fat over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Once cooked, transfer the ham to a plate, keeping the cooking juices in the pan. Add the boiling black coffee to the pan and scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to dissolve any particles that developed while you cooked the ham. The sauce is ready! Pour it over your ham and enjoy!

Turning a Pork Loin Roast into Ham

A ham is big and leaves a lot of leftovers when you celebrate Easter on a smaller scale. It takes a long time to cook, you have to keep an eye on it, baste it, glaze it, and let it rest. The boneless loin roast of l’épicier is a cut of meat more suited to smaller Easter tables. This part of the pig is low in fat, and since the roast has not been industrially processed, it does not contain any additives or preservatives. In addition, we ensure the absence of allergens such as gluten or sulfites, for example. You have to plan ahead, though, so plan the next steps carefully.

Brining

Place 8 liters of cold water in a large, non-reactive container (glass or heavy plastic) that will hold the meat and brine. Whisk in 1 cup of salt and 3/4 cup of sugar to dissolve them thoroughly.

Lightly crush the following ingredients before adding them to the liquid:

2 bay leaves
5 peppercorns
1 Clove
6 allspice berries
2 small dried chilies or 1/8 teaspoon chili flakes (to taste)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon of dried thyme

Submerge a 3-pound pork loin in the mixture and keep it submerged by placing one or two plates on top. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. You can brush the surface of the loin with a little mustard, spices and herbs to taste, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Roast the pork loin ham for about 1 hour at 350°F (175°C).

For the classic ham with pineapple , place well-drained slices on the loin before baking, and brush it with this quick-to-prepare glaze:

Mix the following ingredients in a small saucepan, off the heat, then bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 1 minute. That's it!