| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 50 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (4 1/4 to 4 1/2-pound) bone in ham
- 1 onion, peeled, cut in 1/2
- 1 (2-liter) bottle cola (recommended: Coca-Cola)
- 1 handful cloves
- 1 heaping tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons English mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons Demerara (raw cane sugar) or granulated brown sugar
Instructions
- For the ham:
- Peel and cut 1 onion in half. To a large pot or Dutch oven, place ham, the onion and pour over top, the 2 liter bottle of coca-cola. On a medium-high heat, allow to cola to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, not tightly with lid, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 hours. It is 1 hour for every 2 pounds.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
- Pull the ham from the pot, and allow to rest on a cutting board reserving the cooking liquid. Using a sharp knife, trim the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat on the ham. Using the knife, score the fat diagonally into large diamond cut.. In each diamond pierce the fat with 1 clove. Spread the molasses over the meat. Gently pat the powdered mustard and sugar around the meat, so it sticks to the molasses. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Gently place the ham in the roasting pan. Cook the ham for about 10 minutes or until glaze is burnished and bubbly.
- For braising the ham in advance and then letting the ham cool, take ham from the refrigerator, glaze it according to the recipe, and give it 30 to 40 minutes to sit at room temperature. Place in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, then turning up the heat if you think it needs a more crispy exterior.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 530 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 28 g |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 141 mg |
| Sodium | 2852 mg |
Reviews
I’ve been making this ham for years. Along with the onion, I also cut 2 oranges in half and 4-6 cloves of garlic and toss in with the ham and coke. It is always a hit, even with those who don’t care for ham.
My suggestion is boil the ham in slightly salted water for about an hour. Drain and the score the fat. Put into a casserole pot with a lid. Add Vanilla Coke – a can per kilo or 2 1/2 lbs of ham or gammon. Put on the lid and heat at 150 degree centigrade for 3 – 4 hours, basting the ham with the liquid every half an hour. Take off the lid and turn up the heat to 220 degrees. Take off the lid and make sure the ham is basted with the fat side facing up. Roast off for 40 minutes. You can add honey to the fat to glaze it up during this last bit. Take it out and wrap in foil. Pop it into the fridge and leave it for a day. Unwrap, slice into thin portions and stand clear of the meat as everyone makes a dash for the “best tasting ham I’ve ever had, did you get it from Waitrose?”
This is a fantastic way to cook ham. I’m definitely sold on the coke. You’ll notice, however, this recipe makes no mention of what to do with the liquid you’re to ‘reserve’. I got this idea from my childhood love of Cherry Coke: instead of using the molasses/mustard glaze, I made a reduction from the coke liquid, some Heering Cherry liqueur and lots of brown sugar. Ham goes great with many fruity flavours such as apple, pineapple, pear, etc. so why not cherry! You don’t need a lot of the glaze. It was absolutely delicious and my kids were licking their plates like little puppies.
This is the only Ham recipe I use. It is so easy and really delicious.
Made this for Christmas dinner this year. Oh my goodness it was amazing! So tender and easy. My family raved about it! Love Nigella
perfect, went over like a huge hit. I will make again and again. Now to find something to make from the leftover Cola Liquid
Wow, can’t get any simpler….we love it and don’t even use the glaze. Great for crok pots too.
I will never make ham any other way!!! I don’t even like ham… and this is just devine. I am going to make this for my picky in-laws and we will see what they have to say. Plus… the left over coke makes a great base for black bean soup! Look it up… it is one of Nigella’s… you will not be sorry!
Cheers –
Tiffany in Columbia, SC
I had heard of this before – it has a reputation as the ultimate “white trash” food and a favorite of Elvis’. But it took Nigella’s British accent to get me to try it. I made this more as a conversation piece than a real food, but it turns our that this is a wonderfully flavorful dish! The Coke really gets into the meat and cooks down to a sweet, spicy glaze.
I made this ham for a party that I was invited to, and by the end of the night, there was nothing left! the only modification I made was using Vanilla Coke because I was running late and they were out of regular Coke at my local. Sounds crazy, but I think it made it taste even better. The second time I made it, I used regular coke, and even though it was still very good, I would definitely use the Vanilla coke the next time I make it. I highly recommend this recipe.