Chile Brined Fresh Ham Recipe
Recipe
Recipe Ingredients:
- 4 cup(s) kosher salt
- 2 cup(s) sugar
- 6 quart(s) cold water
- 1 cup(s) black peppercorns, crushed
- 5 ounce(s) Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
- 8 whole(s) cloves
- 4 cup(s) ice cubes
- 1 (18-pound) bone-in fresh ham with skin
- 2 cup(s) low-sodium chicken broth
Recipe Directions:
- In a large saucepan, combine the salt and sugar with 2 quarts of the water.
- Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Pour the brine into a very large pot. Stir in the peppercorns, chiles, and cloves. Add the remaining 4 quarts of water and the ice and stir until the ice has melted and the brine is at room temperature.
- Add the ham, skin side up; the skin does not have to be submerged.
- Brine the ham in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Remove the ham from the brine and brush off the peppercorns and cloves.
- Set the ham skin side up in a roasting pan and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Roast the ham for 1 hour; turn the pan and add 1 cup of water halfway through.
- Reduce the oven to 300° and roast the ham for 2 1/2 hours longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150°.
- Transfer the ham to a carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Strain the pan juices into a saucepan; skim off the fat.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cut the skin off of the ham and break it into pieces. Thinly slice the meat and serve with the jus and crisp skin.
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