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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Smoked Christmas Ham

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.54 from 24 ratings American
Every Christmas table needs a smoked ham with a lovely glaze to accompany it. It is very popular in the United States at Thanksgiving celebrations. The lovely glaze makes this smoked ham absolutely delicious. While cooking at various establishments, we used to always have a glazed smoked ham on our christmas menu. You must serve some form of mustard with the glazed ham. Wholegrain mustard is my personal favourite. It is best to use a deboned ham, as it is much easier to cut. In South-Africa we also make roast turkey for Christmas, or sometimes roast lamb or roast chicken.  We also like having trifle as dessert on our Christmas table and the table normally consist of a buffet selection, either from starter to dessert or if not, then at least the main courses.   
A premium wood-smoked Christmas ham holiday centerpiece roast on a carving board.
Prep 30 min
Cook 3 h 30 m
Total 4 h
Serves 6

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Ingredients

Ham

  • 3 kg uncooked, boneless, smoked ham
  • 1 litre dry apple wine such as Savannah
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 onions, peeled and with cloves inserted
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3 star anise
  • 12 black peppercorns

Glaze

  • 50 g dark brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon apple vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger

Pineapple Chutney

  • 2 large pineapples, peeled and cut into blocks
  • ½ cup water
  • 6 star anise
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
  • 3 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Method

Ham

  1. Place the ham in a heavy-base saucepan and add the apple vinegar

  2. Add enough water to cover the meat

  3. Add the vegetables and spices

  4. Bring to boiling point, lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes per 500 g meat

  5. Skim the foam that forms on top

Glaze

  1. Remove ½ a cup of the apple wine mix in which the ham cooked and place in a saucepan to make the glaze

  2. Add the rest on the ingredients and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolve, lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes

  3. Remove the ham from the liquid and let cool slightly

  4. Remove the cooking rope, place the ham on a oven roasting pan and cover the ham with the sauce

  5. Add a bit of the apple wine mixture at the bottom of the pan and roast for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 190° Celsius

  6. Remove from oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before you cut it

  7. Serve hot or cold with the pineapple chutney

Pineapple Chutney

  1. Place all the pineapple chutney ingredients, accept the lemon juice, in a saucepan

  2. Let it cook

  3. Lower the heat and simmer until the pineapple are soft

  4. Add the lemon juice and let cool

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