Cooking with Greener Grass Farms: Christmas Smoked Ham

Last Sunday I cooked a pasture raised, nitrate free smoked Christmas ham from Greener Grass Farms! I did a simple pineapple ginger glaze with a pinch of chili flakes and it was the best. ham. ever. It was tender, juicy, and crispy. It was all the things that a ham should be. We had leftovers for days. I topped a pizza with the leftover ham and even threw some ham into my fave broccoli kale soup.

If you'd like to reserve your Christmas ham, call Dan or Deb! I know I've talked about this before, but please know where your meat comes from! Know that your animals are taken care of and respected. Know what they ate. Support a local farmer. Your body will thank you. I promise.

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PALEO PINEAPPLE GINGER GLAZED SMOKED HAM

INGREDIENTS

• One 5-7 pound Greener Grass Farms nitrate free smoked ham (pllleeeease know where your meat comes from, what it eats, and support a local farmer!)
• 1 cup fresh pineapple
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• pinch of chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder (for the gravy)

METHOD

• Remove ham from fridge about 1 hour prior to cooking.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grab a sharp knife and start making about 1/4 inch deep cuts on top of the ham. This will allow for the glaze to really get in there. You'll want to do a diamond pattern. Simply go on an angle, about an inch apart. Then cross, and go back the other way. 
• Place ham in a roasting pan. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes at 325.
• Start simmering pineapple, ginger, and sugars. Cook on medium and reduce for a good 10-15 minutes. Blend mixture with immersion blender or blender. Set glaze aside.
• After the 1 hour 45 minutes, remove ham from oven and pour half of the glaze on the ham. Brush evenly over the ham. Put the ham back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
• After that 15 minutes, remove ham from the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush the rest of the glaze over the ham. Put the ham back into the oven while the oven preheats. Once the oven reaches 450 degrees, cook for atleast another 15 minutes, or until the outside is nice and crispy and the inside of the ham reaches 150 degrees.
• Let rest for 20 minutes, carve, and serve. 
• While ham rests, make the gravy. Simply pour all the drippings into a sauce pan. Simmer on medium heat. Make a slurry with 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder and 2 teaspoons COLD water. Mix well and continuously stir into the simmering drippings.