Maple and Bourbon Glazed Gammon
- 180 Minutes
- Medium
- Pork
If you’re looking for a succulent treat to start the holiday season off in the right way, look no further than this maple and bourbon glazed gammon recipe. It perfectly balances sweet, salty, and sticky, with just the right level of booze to get into the Christmas spirit. Lee from Smoke and Sear has prepared this flavourful meat with dauphinoise potatoes, red cabbage, and apples. See how he does it below.
Cooking Method
- Make the rub by combining sweet paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt into a bowl.
- If your gammon joint has a skin on it, remove it carefully using a sharp knife. This will help the rub to directly season the meat and strengthen the flavour.
- If the gammon is too salty, soak it in cold water over night to get rid of the excess salt. Keep in mind that you’ll need to change the water a few times.
- After removing the skin (and soaking if needed) pat the gammon dry and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over the gammon. This adds flavour and acts as a binder for the rub.
- Generously coat the gammon with the homemade rub, pressing it onto the mustard-coated surface for better adhesion. Insert cloves at the intersections of the scored diamonds to infuse the meat with additional flavour.
- Mix the maple syrup, bourbon, brown sugar, and mustard in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the brown sugar is fully dissolved and the glaze is unform.
- Allow the glaze to simmer for a few minutes and once thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before using it to baste the gammon.
- Place the gammon on your preheated grill and cook until it gets to an internal temperature of 60C, it should take about 2 hours. Start glazing the gammon when it reaches 60C and baste it frequently to stop it from burning. Carry on glazing until it reaches 70C.
- Leave the gammon to rest for at least 15 minutes after cooking. Carve and serve with dauphinoise potatoes and spiced red cabbage with apples.
The Ingredients
- 3kg unsmoked gammon joint
- 1 cup maple syrup (plus extra for basting)
- ½ cup bourbon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard (1 for rub binding and 2 for the glaze)
- 1 tbsp cloves
For the rub
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
What to serve with maple and bourbon glazed gammon
In this recipe the meat is served with spiced cabbage and dauphinoise potatoes, but there are several other tasty sides that work amazingly with maple and bourbon glazed gammon including:
- Bourbon baked beans
- Cheesy hashbrown potatoes
- Sweet potato casserole
- Honey roasted carrots
- Mashed potatoes
- Whole roasted brussels sprouts
