There’s a special kind of comfort in a Christmas dish that feels both nostalgic and luxurious. A glazed ham has that effect – familiar, festive, and deeply aromatic. But when it's made with a Kurobuta Berkshire cut from Victor Churchill (which can be picked up or delivered straight to your doorstep for convenience), it becomes something truly memorable. This version leans into rich caramel notes from brown sugar and maple syrup, sharpened just enough by cider vinegar and mustard to keep every bite balanced.
What makes it sing is the ritual of scoring the fat, studding each diamond with cloves, and brushing on a glossy glaze that slowly turns golden in the oven. As it bakes, the kitchen fills with the kind of warmth and spice that signals celebration, even if the occasion is simply gathering around good food. Sweet, savoury, and made for sharing, this ham is the sort of centrepiece that asks you to carve slowly, pour something chilled, and savour the moment.
Ingredients
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
- 200gm brown sugar
- 20gm dried mustard
- 60gm cider vinegar
- 60gm maple syrup
- 1 cup of cloves
- 1 Rare Breed Kurobuta Berkshire bone in ham
Method
- To make the glaze, place the brown sugar, dried mustard, cider vinegar and maple syrup into a bowl and stir to combine.
- To remove the skin, use a small sharp knife to pierce the skin (without cutting into the meat) and carefully remove from the ham, making sure that the fat remains on the meat. Save the skin to cover the ham surface until you are ready to start glazing.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Discard the skin. Use a sharp knife to score the meat in a criss-cross (diamond) pattern and stud the centre of each diamond with a clove.
- Place the ham in a baking tray and pour over the glaze. Add a little water to cover the base of the pan.
- Bake the ham at 190°C for approximately 40 minutes, or until the glaze begins to caramelise.
- Baste with glaze every 12 minutes throughout the cooking process.
- Once baking is complete and the ham is nicely caramelised, let the ham rest for 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
