Mario Batali's Fresh Ham Italian Style
Filed under
Pork
Servings: 6
Contributed by Mario Batali. Serves 6 to 8; takes over 2 hours plus a 24-hour brine. "This dish is great for any holiday, even Halloween."
The paste directions mention pepper, which isn't in the ingredient list, and the glaze directions say anise seeds where the list has fennel seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kosher salt, for the brine
- 6 cup Light brown sugar, packed, for the brine
- 6 tbsp Fennel seed, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons, for the brine
- 3/4 cup Black peppercorns, crushed, for the brine
- 1 Fresh ham, bone-in leg of pork, shank end, 6 to 8 pounds
- 1 cup Sage, fresh leaves (about 2 large bunches), for the paste
- 12 clove Garlic, for the paste
- 1/4 cup Fennel seed, fennel pollen or ground toasted fennel seeds, for the paste
- 3 tbsp Kosher salt, for the paste
- 1/4 cup Olive oil, extra-virgin, for the paste
- 1/2 cup Light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup Cider vinegar, for the glaze
- 1/2 cup Apricot jam, for the glaze
- 2 tbsp Dry mustard, Colman's, for the glaze
- 2 tbsp Fennel seed, for the glaze
Directions
- Make the brine: combine 6 cups water, the kosher salt, and the brown sugar in a large saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until dissolved. Pour into a container large enough to hold the pork and brine. Add the fennel seeds and peppercorns and let cool.
- Make the ham: with a very sharp serrated knife, score parallel lines 1 inch apart and 1/2 inch deep in the skin, then another series diagonally across them to make a diamond pattern.
- Add 10 cups water to the brine; make sure it's completely cold. Submerge the ham, cover, and refrigerate 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Process the sage, garlic, fennel pollen, kosher salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Rub into the nooks and crannies of the ham.
- Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan and bake 3 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F (keep cooking until it does).
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: combine the cider vinegar, apricot jam, dry mustard, and seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups and syrupy.
- At 150 degrees F, brush on a thin layer of glaze. Continue cooking, brushing with the glaze two more times, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Rest on a carving board before slicing.