Chinese-Pineapple-Molasses Ham Recipe
- by Chef David Rose
- Last updated Jan 10, 2024
You don’t need a holiday or special occasion – or a whole day spent in the kitchen – to cook a mouthwatering ham for your family and friends thanks to our Chinese-pineapple-molasses ham recipe! With a prep time of merely 10 minutes and a cook time of under two hours, you can enjoy this savory, sweet, citrusy flavor explosion any night of the week. Whether it’s a cold winter night or outdoor dining in the summer, this dish is a recipe for a fantastic and flavorful evening.
Why We Love This Ham Recipe
If you’re a fan of a savory-sweet flavor profile, get ready to cheer! Rich, smoky, juicy ham is glazed in a wonderful combination of sweet pineapple juice, savory chicken stock, warm and deep molasses, toffee-like brown sugar, mild rice wine vinegar, and licorice-like Chinese 5 spice powder, then surrounded by wonderfully citrusy pineapple rings for a complex and exquisite bite every time.
Tools You’ll Need Before You Start
- 1 Medium Sauce Pot
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Roasting Pan with Rack
- Aluminum Foil
- 1 Basting Brush
- Meat Thermometer
How to Cook Chinese-Pineapple-Molasses Ham
When you think of a ham dinner you probably envision hours spent in the kitchen slaving away to ensure a perfectly cooked ham to serve to your family or guests. Well you’re in luck, because when you prepare this recipe using Omaha Steaks Duroc Boneless Country Ham, we’ve already done all the hard work for you! All you have to do is thaw and serve. Our Ducoc Ham originates from a heritage breed of pork that’s got a major reputation for major juiciness and rich flavor. Our master butchers slow-smoke this ham for up to eight hours to deliver unique and mouthwatering flavors in every bite and flash-freeze it until you’re ready to thaw and enjoy!
1. Join the Glaze Craze
Your Omaha Steaks Duroc Boneless Country Ham will deliver wow-inducing flavors all on its own, but this Chinese-pineapple-molasses glaze kicks it up a notch with sweet and savory contributions. The best part? Making it couldn’t be any easier! First, add all ingredients besides your cornstarch to a medium sauce pot and whisk together before bringing to a boil. Next, lower to medium-high heat until it’s reduced to 1/3 in volume and achieves a slightly syrupy consistency, which should take about 10 minutes. Then simply whisk in your cornstarch until it’s thickened and set aside while you prep your ham.
2. Ham it Up!
After thawing your Omaha Steaks Duroc Boneless Country Ham in the refrigerator for 26 to 28 hours ahead of time, remove it from the packaging and place it on a roaster rack in a roaster pan cut-side down while it comes to room temperature over one hour. Next, secure one pineapple ring on all four sides and the top of the ham using two toothpicks for each ring. Once your oven has preheated to 275 degrees F, cover your ham with aluminum foil and place it on the center rack.
Next, it’s mostly a waiting game; bake your ham for 90 to 100 minutes, brushing it with glaze every 20 minutes, until you’ve reached the last 20 minutes of cooking. At the start of the last 20 minutes, remove the foil and increase the heat to 325 degrees F. When the full cooking time is up, your ham should have an internal temperature of 140 degrees F and a beautiful – and tasty – lacquer of glaze. Serve with the remaining glaze on the side and prepare for a feast of the senses!
Chinese-Pineapple-Molasses Ham
Ingredients
Chinese-Pineapple-Molasses Glaze
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Ham
- 1 5 lb. Omaha Steaks Duroc Boneless Country Ham
- 1/2 whole pineapple, cored and sliced into 5 one-inch pineapple rings
- 10 toothpicks
Instructions
Chinese-Pineapple-Molasses Glaze
- Add all ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch in medium-sized sauce pot and whisk together.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 in volume and slightly syrupy, about 10 minutes; then whisk in cornstarch until thickened. Set aside.
Ham
- Thaw Duroc Boneless Country Ham in refrigerator for 26 to 28 hours.
- Remove ham from packaging, place on a roasting rack in a roaster pan cut-side down, and allow ham to come to room temperature on counter over 1 hour.
- Use 2 toothpicks to secure 1 pineapple ring on all 4 sides of ham and 1 on top.
- Place in center rack of preheated 275 degrees oven, cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake 90 to 100 minutes, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes; remove foil the last 20 minutes and increase heat to 325 degrees.
- Internal temperature of ham should read 140F and ham should be nicely glazed and lacquered; serve with remaining glaze on the side.
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