Bourbon glazed ham is a fantastic centre piece for any occasion.
Hot or cold, there is so much flavour, from the moist and tender meat to the crunchy glazed coating.
Easy to make in advance, reheat, freeze and so may ideas for any leftovers too.
There are plenty of tips as well, to make sure your ham is cooked to perfection and there'll be no complaints that it's too salty either!
Bon appétit!
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Why you will love this glazed gammon
- perfect for making in advance
- delicious hot or cold
- fail safe method which works with any size cut of gammon
- fab for buffets and picnics
- juicy meat, never salty!
I know that many people prefer to buy a ready cooked ham at Christmas or for a buffet, as it seems to be so much easier, but this way of cooking the ham is easy and fool proof. This is the way my dad always prepared a ham. I don't know the origin of it, but it's a method that I've always used too. Simmering the gammon and then roasting it ensures that you always have juicy meat and a gorgeous, crusty glaze.
What are the ingredients?
Start with your piece of gammon. You can use a piece with a bone in or out, the method will be the same. I like to look for a piece that is not rolled or needing to be held together by string, as it will cause havoc with the sticky glaze! I also like to make sure that thegammon has a nice layer of fat.
For the glaze I've used bourbon, but you could use whiskey of course. The other ingredients are ginger marmalade, brown sugar and a tin of pineapple in juice.
How to make sure that the ham is not salty
Start by weighing your gammon and calculate the total cooking time of the gammon. The basic formula is to allow 30 minutes of cooking time for every 500g of gammon. So, for a 4kg joint the total is 4 hours.
In the past a gammon joint, whether smoked or unsmoked, could be very salty. Nowadays, it's much less common but I normally add an extra few steps to the cooking process to be sure.
If you have plenty of time you can leave the gammon in a large container with enough water to cover. Slice of a slither of meat and fry in a pan to check if the meat is salty or not. Soak for longer if you need to.
An alternative is to put the gammon in a large pan and cover with cold water. Slowly bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the water and cut a slither to taste. Repeat the process is required.
How to make bourbon glazed ham
When you are happy that the ham is not salty place it in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for half the cooking time.
In the meantime put the bourbon, pineapple, sugar, ginger marmalade and water into a saucepan and heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Leave to simmer for about 5 minutes, until the pineapple breaks down.
When the gammon has had the half cooking time drain and leave to cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin with a sharp knife and try and leave an even layer of fat.
Score the fat in a diamond pattern. Transfer to an oven dish, lined with foil and pour over the glaze, using a pastry brush to coat evenly.
Roast 180C/350F for the remaining time and increase the temperature to 200C/400F for the last 20 minutes to get a dark, caramelised crust.
Remove from the oven and cool before slicing.
Honey roast ham is really easy to do. Score the fat and press a clove into each intersection point. Glaze with honey and roast as normal.
Leftover ham will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. If you need to keep it longer then freeze it.
The possibilities are endless! I always have some leftover ham and I cut some into small dice and freeze for use in soups, scalloped potato dishes, such as tartiflette, and pasta sauce. I freeze larger cubes for my chicken, leek and ham pie or for pizzas. Of course, sliced ham is perfect for sandwiches, toasted cheese sandwiches and salads.
Bacon is raw cured pork cut from the belly or back of the pig.
Gammon refers to cured pork that has not been cooked and ham refers to the gammon when it has been cooked.
Top tips
- for the best slices of ham wait until the ham is entirely cold before slicing. If you want to serve it hot I prefer to wrap the slices in foild and place on a tray in the oven at 180C/350F until hot.
- if you are making the bourbon glazed ham for an occasion such as Christmas or a buffet,
More roast dishes to try
📋 Recipe
Bourbon Glazed Ham.
Ingredients
- 4 kg gammon smoked or unsmoked
- 125 g pineapple chunks in juice
- 100 g water
- 1 tablespoon Bourbon
- 2 tablespoon ginger marmalade or stem ginger in syrup
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Calculate the cooking time by allowing 30 minutes for each 500g. Cover the gammon with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for half the cooking time.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring until thickened.
- Drain the water from the gammon and remove the skin and most of the fat before scoring and glazing the gammon with the marmalade mixture.
- Roast in the oven at 180C/350F for the remaining time but increase the temperature to 200C/400F for the last 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating and slicing.
Notes
- for the best slices of ham wait until the ham is entirely cold before slicing. If you want to serve it hot I prefer to wrap the slices in foild and place on a tray in the oven at 180C/350F until hot.
- if you are making the bourbon glazed ham for an occasion such as Christmas or a buffet,
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
This recipe was first published on the 14th December 2017 and updated with further information on
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Toni
This is really amazing!! It was a huge hit at my house!
Beth
Yummy! This looks so delicious and savory! I can't wait to make this! So excited!
Helen
That glaze sounds fabulous - ginger and whisky, what a combination!
Jenn
My family teases that they'll fire me as chief cook if I don't make this ham over the holidays! It's a real keeper!
Jesse
This is a fantastic recipe and I especially love your tips on how to remove some of the salt from it!
Laura
I make ham often, but this recipe is one of the best. The bourbon glaze is delicious.
Alice | SkinnySpatula
This looks so festive! The glaze sounds absolutely delicious, can't wait to try it for Christmas.
Anjali
This recipe looks absolutely perfect for the holidays!! I can't wait to try it this week!
Katherine
What a show-stopping ham! Such an awesome flavor-packed glaze.
Charla
This looks great and thanks for all those tips on how to not make the ham super salty. That's definitely noted!!
Emmeline
Girl you are speaking my language! Bourbon and roasted ham, yes of course I'm in.
Amanda
Thanks Caroline. I've definitely tasted my fair share of salty ham and for a long time only cooked the unsmoked variety. One trick was to bring it to the boil then slice off a tiny piece and taste it. If too salty discard the water and reboil with fresh.
Amanda
Oh that made me chuckle as it reminded me of family get togethers with a tinned ham! My dad called it plastic and he wouldn't have it in the house so this is pretty much how he used to cook it.
The Foodie Affair
Those tinned hams should be banned, especially after seeing how easy it is to make at home. Much better with a bourbon ginger glaze. Fantastic recipe. Thank you!
carolinescookingblog
I've always avoided ham as I hadn't really tended to like it - found it too salty - but we had some recently that we really liked. And the soaking you suggest is definitely a good idea for certain cuts like gammon. Wish I'd known about your glaze as it sounds a great accompaniment!
Amanda
Oh my indeed!Thank you.
sunnydaysinseattle
Oh my!!!
Amanda
Thanks Mimi. I just love all those grungy crusty bits too! Have a lovely weekend.
chef mimi
This looks superb! The caramelization is so pretty!