The recipe for Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham came by way of my baby Sis! Yeah, Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham. I know, right? But don’t click off yet- stay with me here for a minute and hear what I have to say, coz this beauty of a glazed ham just put all my other hams to shame! They’re sittin’ in the corner right now, moping.
Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham
Here’s the thing about my Sis. Every recipe she gives me is a little special and over the top, but so doaable; some might sound even a bit strange. Hello Cornbread Salad and Bacon Stuffing. Yep, you heard it here first, folks – bacon stuffing!! Every one of her recipes has a touch of genius, and Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham is no exception.
About Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham:
I literally cannot say enough about this ham. It’s moist (even a spiral ham, which can be a little tricky) because this glaze seals all the juiciness in. The taste is almost indefinable. There’s pineapple and rum, but they meld into a glorious amalgamation of flavor. (Yeah, I had to look up the spelling coz this ham is so good, my everyday words can’t describe it.)
That glaze, though! It’s a sticky caramelization that rides the line between chewy and crispy. Can we say pig candy, here, folks? And the juices? Deep, slightly tart, and barely sweet, they are the perfect foil for the moist, salty ham.
Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham
About the Alcohol:
My sister made me swear to use a full cup of Captain Morgan’s Rum – I knew she thought I was rolling my eyes and would put in a smidge, which WAS what I was thinking. Trust me and trust my Sis! Use the full cup.
Know that alcohol never completely disappears – but between the boiling, stirring, and evaporation from the open roaster, the actual amount of retained alcohol is minuscule. Probably less than the alcohol from vanilla in a dessert.
Making Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham:
This is an easy recipe with six ingredients. Ham, Captain Morgan’s rum, pineapple, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. It’s the method and tending that will make or break it.
You have two choices. Go super easy, or add in a couple of steps. Both are detailed in the recipe.
- Pineapple Tidbits: My sister uses pineapple tidbits. I toss mine in the blender and break them down. I prefer itsy bitsy teensy bits of pineapple. They stick better to the ham and melt into the glaze, adding to the deep caramelization. Do whichever you prefer.
- The Glaze: Liz mixes the glaze, tosses it over the ham, and bastes. I simmer the glaze ingredients (don’t let them boil over), and reduce by about a third. Then I toss some over the ham and start glazing. I still have a lot of sauce, but the reduction builds the glaze better.
- The Sauce: The remaining sauce in the roaster can be served as is (that’s what I do), defatted, or reduced by simmering. It’s in your hands.
Helpful Hints on Cooking and Glazing this Ham:
This is a precooked, smoked ham, which is what all those vacuum-packed hams you’ll find at the store are. They only have to be heated through, usually to 140 degrees F. (They can be eaten as is, just like the famous Honey Baked Ham, but warming through intensifies the flavor.)
The ham is cooked at a low temperature (275 degrees F.) until it’s time to glaze. With an hour and a half left to go (the cooking times are in the recipe), turn up the oven to 350 degrees F. and begin glazing. Because the temperature is higher expect the ham to finish quicker than the actual timing for 275 degrees F.
Watch the glazing, it’s different if you’ve followed my sister’s method or mine. Both options are in the recipe. If the glaze, with 20 or 30 minutes left, seems pale, stop glazing and keep an eye on it until it is. Once it is browned and bubbly, start glazing again.
You may need to turn your ham around in the oven several times so the glaze caramelizes evenly. If any portion of the ham is in danger of getting too dark before the rest, place a bit of aluminum foil over the dark area. Just lightly mold it to the ham. If the ham reaches temperature before the glaze is right, either turn on the broiler and watch closely, or just pull it as is.
What Size Ham do I Need?
The standard is to count on 3/4 to 1 pound of ham per person. I’ll make it easy and do the math, but the smaller hams won’t have much time to glaze, and I have only tested this recipe with 9 pounds and above.
- 6-pound bone-in ham serves 5 to 6 people
- 7-pound bone-in ham serves 7 to 9 people
- 8-pound bone-in ham serves 8 to 11 people
- 9-pound bone-in ham serves 9 to 12 people
- 10-pound bone-in ham serves 10 to 14 people
- 11-pound bone-in ham serves 11 to 15 people
- 12-pound bone-in ham serves 12 to 16 people
- 13-pound bone-in ham serves 13 to 17 people
- 14-pound bone-in ham serves 14 to 18 people
What to Serve with Your Ham:
For holidays, I love Ruth’s Chris au Gratin Potatoes Copycat, but the glorious sauce cries out for mashed! For a crowd, try Make-Ahead Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes. To free up your stovetop, Perfect Instant Pot Mashed.
For the best classic mashed? Best Company Mashed Potatoes. To minimize the carbs, make Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower.
Saving Money on Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham:
- Buying Ham: Easter is THE season to buy Ham. It will always be on sale around Thanksgiving and before Christmas and New Year’s, and often around Mother’s Day, but you’d be hard-pressed to find better pricing than around Easter. Follow the ads, & get more than one. Ham keeps for weeks in the fridge and can be frozen. See my post Win at the Grocery for links on what to look for at deep sale before every holiday. Scroll to the bottom.
- Leftovers: Stretching that ham over several meals is a great way to stretch your budget. Save the bone & the juices for this ham because you’ll want them for stock. In the meantime, take a peek at how to break down a ham, store it, and all the marvelous dishes for leftover ham I have here on my site. I’ve gathered them together in this collection I’ve dubbed “12 Days of Ham.” (Because I started with 12 recipes…)
- Alcohol: It’s never really “cheap,” even the cheap stuff! Sign up for email alerts from several shops; when they have a big sale (usually wine in the fall and in the spring or hooch before almost any holiday and a big one every spring), to get alerts. If you’re stocking up or buying something premium, it really pays to know what a good price is.
I hope you’re all having a happy holiday weekend! I haven’t decided on all my sides to go with the Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham yet, although the mashed potatoes are staying! You need them for all that sauce! And of course, I’m going to drive the pineapple home with a Hummingbird cake. Take care, and I hope you’ll follow and visit often,
Mollie
Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham
Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham
A glorious mix of sweet, salty, deep deliciousness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: varies with size of ham
- Total Time: varies with size of ham
- Yield: varies with size of ham
- Category: main dish ham
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ham, vacuum-packed, bone-in, spiral sliced preferred. If intact, score the top in a diamond pattern *
- 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits in juice, along with said juice
- 1 cup of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
Because this takes 1 1/2 hours to glaze, this works best with a larger ham, 8 pounds or larger. A small ham could be overcooked before the glazing has finished.
Instructions
Set ham out at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before baking. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to the lower third position. Add ham to a roaster, covered tightly, and bake according to the timing below. About an hour and a half before the ham is finished, turn the oven up to 325 degrees F. and begin the glazing process.
Always check for temperature (near, but not allowing to touch the bone with a thermometer to for 140 degrees F. If the glazing is not done at that point, either carefully broil for a couple of minutes, or just pull the ham as is, rather than risking a dry ham.
Place in oven and bake approximately 12 to 15 minutes per pound at 275 degrees F. Begin glazing 1 1/2 hours before the ham is due to be finished, but because the oven will be turned up to 350 degrees F. when glazing starts, expect it to take less than the total time given. That can vary depending on how long each basting takes and how well the oven holds heat. Use a thermometer.
I have only tested this recipe with a 9-pound ham or higher.
- a six-pound ham will take 72 minutes (one hour and 15 minutes) to 90 minutes (one hour and 30 minutes)
- a seven-pound ham will take 85 minutes (one hour and 25 minutes) to 105 minutes (one hour and 45 minutes)
- an eight-pound ham will take 96 minutes (one hour and 35 to minutes) to 120 minutes (two hours)
- a nine-pound ham will take 108 minutes (one hour and 50 minutes) to 135 minutes (2 hours and 15 minutes}
- a ten-pound ham will take 120 minutes (two hours) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes)
- an eleven-pound ham will take 132 minutes (2 hours 10 minutes) to 165 minutes (2 hours 45 minutes)
- a twelve-pound ham will take 144 minutes (2 hours 25 minutes) to 180 minutes (3 hours)
- a thirteen-pound ham will take 156 minutes (2 hours 40 minutes) to 195 minutes (3 hours 15 minutes)
- a fourteen-pound ham will take 168 minutes (3 hours 10 minutes) to 210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes)
For the glaze:
To prepare and glaze the ham, do one of the following:
- Mix together the pineapple tidbits, rum, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar, and pour over the ham. Baste at regular intervals after glazing begins, about every 10 minutes.
- Add pineapple to a blender and break it down into very small pieces. Add to a small saucepan along with rum, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and watch closely to avoid a boilover; reduce by about 1/3. Pour half over the ham and glaze with the remainder in the pan with a brush every 10 minutes. If there is no more glaze, use the juices in the bottom of the pan. If pan is in danger of looking dry, add a little water.
With either method, slightly separate the top slices so the glaze has maximum surface area. Turn the pan in the oven if the glaze is cooking or browning unevenly. Add a bit of foil formed to an area if that area is in danger of burning before the rest of the glaze is nicely caramelized.
If the glaze doesn’t seem fully caramelized and is looking pale, and you have 20 or 30 minutes left, stop glazing and keep an eye on it until the glaze looks drier and is caramelized. Once it is browned and bubbly, start glazing again.
Remove the ham to rest for 20 to 30 minutes after it reaches 140 degrees F in the center of the ham, nearing to, but not touching the bone.
Notes:
Most hams instruct to cook with the spiral side down. We prefer the ham cooked on its least attractive side and the cuts to the outside, where they can get glazed and become a little chewy. Those pieces are prized in our family for their deep flavor and chewiness.
If desired, the juices and glaze at the bottom of the pan can be defatted before serving and/or simmered to reduce, or just served as is.
It would make me very happy if you pin and share my Drunken Pineapple Glazed Ham! Thanks in advance. 🙂
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