Vietnamese Glazed Christmas Ham
While Vietnam and Christmas dinner doesn’t readily come to mind as a common celebration, many Vietnamese have migrated to western countries where food forms a big part of family life, as it does for Asian families.
Featured as the centrepiece of the prototypical Dickensian Christmas, the Christmas ham is said to have its roots in ancient pagan ritual. Supposedly, the tradition started with the Germans, who wanted to appease the god, Freyr. He was the god of fertility, harvest, and boars. Paganism also offered many traditions for Christianity, including Christmas trees. And so, the tradition of the Christmas ham was born. When pagans were converted to Christianity, the porcine meal became linked to St. Stephen, whose feast day is December 26th.
Vietnamese cuisine features a lot of pork. Sixty-five percent of all meat consumed in Vietnam is pork. It's both a daily dish and holiday feast, prepared and enjoyed across the country in all forms imaginable (grilled, braised, boiled or fried). This fabulous twist on a western Christmas dish may well become your new family tradition! Serves 10 +
While Vietnam and Christmas dinner doesn’t readily come to mind as a common celebration, many Vietnamese have migrated to western countries where food forms a big part of family life, as it does for Asian families.
Featured as the centrepiece of the prototypical Dickensian Christmas, the Christmas ham is said to have its roots in ancient pagan ritual. Supposedly, the tradition started with the Germans, who wanted to appease the god, Freyr. He was the god of fertility, harvest, and boars. Paganism also offered many traditions for Christianity, including Christmas trees. And so, the tradition of the Christmas ham was born. When pagans were converted to Christianity, the porcine meal became linked to St. Stephen, whose feast day is December 26th.
Vietnamese cuisine features a lot of pork. Sixty-five percent of all meat consumed in Vietnam is pork. It's both a daily dish and holiday feast, prepared and enjoyed across the country in all forms imaginable (grilled, braised, boiled or fried). This fabulous twist on a western Christmas dish may well become your new family tradition! Serves 10 +
Vietnamese Glazed Ham
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INGREDIENTS:
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METHOD:
NOTES
Wrap the ham bone with natural cloth or calico and tie with a Christmas ribbon to present on your dinner table.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
- Place ginger, garlic, chilli, lime zest, fish sauce, dark soy, sugar, star anise, cinnamon and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, stir to combine, then place over medium heat. Cook until it reduces and becomes slightly syrupy. Add lime juice and stir.
- Remove skin from ham with a large knife, trim any excess fat from skin.
- Score ham in a criss-cross pattern.
- Pierce individual cloves all over ham to make a pretty pattern.
- Once syrup has reduced, place ham on baking tray lined with foil and baste ham with a good amount of syrup.
- Place ham in oven and cook for about 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. When ham is warmed and glazed, remove from oven and baste one final time with remaining syrup to make the ham look glossy and serve.
NOTES
Wrap the ham bone with natural cloth or calico and tie with a Christmas ribbon to present on your dinner table.
