The orange is a fruit that is too easily taken for granted. It surrounds us as the juice in our fridges, or the scent on our soaps, but people often focus too much on the sweet flavor they offer. They forget how actually, the orange is one of the best fruits to complement savory foods. The acidity of the citrus offers the perfect counterpoint to the fat in many meats, and in doing so becomes the ideal accompaniment. Fatty meats like duck or pork can get a whole new lease on life when they pair up with the sweet yet tangy bite of the illustrious orange.
So what does the humble orange offer to a family favorite such as the roasted ham?
It turns out: a LOT!
And if you’re concerned about how tricky or bougie this recipe may be I have great news for you. We’ve found a simple, convenient and tasty recipe that gets the most flavor, with the fewest steps. In short, it’s the recipe you’re sure to be whipping out when you have to produce an impressive meal but you’re short on time and/or experience.
This crockpot balsamic (and orange!) glazed ham is an easy win in any game!
It’s as easy as preparing your marinade, and tossing your ingredients together in a pot to cook all low and slow. The result is a perfectly marinaded and flavorsome ham, tender as a Shakespeare sonnet. Here’s your future party secret…a ham that is melt-in-your-mouth, and takes minimal effort.
It may seem impossible to roast the perfect ham…but the truth is tastier than fiction.
Here are your ingredients:
- 5 pound bone-in ham
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 cup of fresh orange juice
- zest of one orange
- 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
How to cook the ham:
1. Take that raw ham and toss it into your slow cooker. Ok, that’s the main ingredient done, now for the rest. In a mixing bowl, mix your brown sugar, honey, orange juice, orange zest, balsamic vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. Well, that’s literally every ingredient out of the way, so that’s the second big milestone reached!
2. Whisk up that marinade until it’s thoroughly combined. Once it’s all mixed together, you know what to do: pour it all over you ham.
…And don’t forget to seal that cooker!
Any slow cooked meal requires consistent heat, temperature and moisture, so make sure that lid is on with no cracks to make sure that all the cookin’ happens inside the cooker!
3. Then crank that slow cooker to low, and let it do what it does best for six hours. After that, open it up and check if it’s done. If you have a meat thermometer, get it to the thickest part of the ham and if it reads 140° F or higher, you are done baby (well, the ham is anyway)!
So there you have it!
As it turns out, a big ol’ hunk o’ ham isn’t really all that intimidating to make at all! Neither, it seems, is using the illusive orange as that special secret ingredient. If you ever want to spice the whole affair up, your preferred level of red chilli flakes will give you that extra heat.
And don’t forget the veg!
The perfect side-dish is very much a matter of opinion, but our recommended pairing has to be a healthy range of roasted veggies to compliment this rich and hearty meal.
At the end of the day, the ball’s in your court! (or…the ham’s in your cooker?)
Heck, throw some vegetables or onions into that crockpot for the last hour or so. Lets us know how it turns out, and more importantly, tell your friends!
Watch the video below to see the full process!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
