Home-Cured Holiday Ham

Make homemade cured ham with Chef John's fantastic recipe that transforms a pork shoulder roast into a flavorful cured ham using a multi-day brine.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 484 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 cup water, or as needed
• 2 whole star anise
• 6 quarts water, divided
• 18 ounces kosher salt
• 7 teaspoons pink salt #1 (curing salt)
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice, or to taste
• 0.25 cup maple syrup
• 0.25 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 (7 pound) fresh, bone-in pork shoulder ("picnic") arm roast, with the skin s

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Step 2

Place kosher salt, brown sugar, pink salt, and pickling spice in a container large enough to hold brine and ham.

Step 3

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and pour over brine ingredients; whisk to dissolve. Pour in 1 gallon fresh cold water to cool down mixture.

Step 4

Score the skin side of pork roast with a sharp knife, cutting into the fat beneath the skin but not into the meat. Score about 1 inch apart, then score in the opposite direction to get a classic diamond-shaped pattern.

Step 5

Lower roast into brine, skin-side up. Use a plate to weigh down roast, so it cures fully submerged in liquid. Refrigerate for 1 day for every 2 pounds of pork (cure for 2 1/2 days for a 7-pound roast). Turn roast over halfway through the brining process.

Step 6

Remove roast from brining liquid. Discard brining liquid and transfer roast back to the brining container. Cover roast with fresh cold water to rinse off salt; let soak for a few minutes to overnight, depending on how salty you want your ham. Remove roast from water and blot dry with paper towels.

Step 7

Add 1 cup water and 2 whole star anise to a roasting pan. Place roast on a rack in the roasting pan.

Step 8

Roast in the preheated oven until ham reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F (55 to 58 degrees C), about 2 hours. Ham will not be fully cooked at this point. If water has nearly evaporated, add a splash more.

Step 9

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Continue to roast ham until the skin is browned and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees F (63 to 66 degrees C).

Step 10

Make optional glaze: Mix mustard, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Brush glaze on baked ham. Return roast to the oven for 5 minutes.