Roast Rack of Ham in Maple Syrup Marinade with Apricot Relish
Description
(serves 8)
Waikanae Butchery, our local butcher, still cure their own hams, and bacon and make their own pork sausages. A rack of ham is inspirational because you have perfect portion control and it is very quick to cook. If your butcher is unsure what you are asking for, see our butcher’s note following. In this recipe I am starting with a raw ham rack, boiling it to cook it, then roasting it in the oven to essentially glaze it. Message from Waikanae Butchery: When folk wish to purchase a Pork Ham Rack from their butcher they ask him for a Rack of Pork (number of chops) Cured and Smoked ready to cook. INGREDIENTS
1.5kg (8 cutlets) ham rack 170g (1/2 cup) clover honey 30ml (2 tbsp) malt vinegarMaple Syrup Marinade Maple Syrup Jus Apricot Relish
METHOD
· Place ham rack into a large pot of cold water, making sure it is entirely covered. · Add honey and vinegar*2, cover with lid and bring to the boil. · Lower heat, adjust lid so it sits half covering the pot and simmer rack for 1 – 1¼ hours*3, or until tender when pierced with a cake skewer. · Remove from heat. Leave ham rack sitting in liquid and once cool place in the refrigerator overnight. · The following day remove ham rack from liquids and discard liquids. · Carefully cut skin off ham rack leaving a thick layer of fat covering the meat. Score the rack by cutting into the fat in diagonal lines to a depth of 1cm and repeat cutting on the opposite diagonal to achieve diamond shape cuts. · Spread half of Maple Syrup Marinade evenly over rack and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Baste ham rack occasionally while marinating. · Preheat oven to 170ºC. · Line a roasting tray with aluminium foil and place ham rack in base. Tip marinade from bowl over ham rack. · Place in oven and cook 45 minutes – 1 hour or until tender. During cooking generously baste with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes. · Carve into cutlets, drizzle with Maple Syrup Jus and accompany with Apricot Relish. * Adjust measurements of honey and vinegar according to weight of rack. * Allow 20-25 minutes cooking time per 500g
Maple Syrup Marinade
(makes 260 ml) You will need 1 x recipe to marinate rack of ham and 1 x recipe for Maple Jus. INGREDIENTS
2 tsp dry mustard powder ½ tsp ground cinnamon 30ml (2 tbsp) cider vinegar 160ml (2/3 cup) maple syrup40g (3 tbsp) prepared Dijon mustard 30ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce Maldon sea salt freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
· In small bowl combine dry mustard, cinnamon and vinegar to a paste. · Add maple syrup, Dijon mustard, soy sauce and seasonings. It should be spicy but sweet.
Maple Syrup Jus
(makes 250ml) INGREDIENTS
1 x recipe Maple Syrup Marinade250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
METHOD
· Combine Maple Syrup Marinade and stock in a medium sized pot. · Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Apricot Relish
(makes 500ml/2 cups) This is not a preserve, it is a fresh relish which needs to be kept in the fridge. If there is any left over I love it with celery and cheddar cheese. Use the plumpest dried apricots you can find. I prefer to use dried apricots either from the Barossa Valley, Australia or from Otago, New Zealand. INGREDIENTS
250g (1 ¼ cups) sugar 10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice zest of 1 orange juice of 2 oranges 260g (1 ¾ cups) dried apricots 1 medium (190g) apple (peeled and diced)freshly ground white pepper 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds 2 tsp brown mustard seeds olive oil 30ml (2 tbsp) verjuice
METHOD
· In a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Cook over a medium heat until sugar begins to caramelise. Do not stir. · When sugar has reached a golden caramel colour, add orange zest and turn down the heat. · After a minute, add orange juice, apricots, apple and pepper. Stir to combine. · Continue to cook over a medium heat until the apricots are soft and the relish is thick. · While relish is cooking toast the mustard seeds in a little oil until they just start to pop. Remove from the heat, transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush about half the seeds. · When relish has slightly cooled stir in mustard seeds and verjuice. Refrigerate until ready to use. · Serve at room temperature. Note: This relish will keep indefinitely in the fridge.
1.5kg (8 cutlets) ham rack 170g (1/2 cup) clover honey 30ml (2 tbsp) malt vinegarMaple Syrup Marinade Maple Syrup Jus Apricot Relish
METHOD
· Place ham rack into a large pot of cold water, making sure it is entirely covered. · Add honey and vinegar*2, cover with lid and bring to the boil. · Lower heat, adjust lid so it sits half covering the pot and simmer rack for 1 – 1¼ hours*3, or until tender when pierced with a cake skewer. · Remove from heat. Leave ham rack sitting in liquid and once cool place in the refrigerator overnight. · The following day remove ham rack from liquids and discard liquids. · Carefully cut skin off ham rack leaving a thick layer of fat covering the meat. Score the rack by cutting into the fat in diagonal lines to a depth of 1cm and repeat cutting on the opposite diagonal to achieve diamond shape cuts. · Spread half of Maple Syrup Marinade evenly over rack and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Baste ham rack occasionally while marinating. · Preheat oven to 170ºC. · Line a roasting tray with aluminium foil and place ham rack in base. Tip marinade from bowl over ham rack. · Place in oven and cook 45 minutes – 1 hour or until tender. During cooking generously baste with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes. · Carve into cutlets, drizzle with Maple Syrup Jus and accompany with Apricot Relish. * Adjust measurements of honey and vinegar according to weight of rack. * Allow 20-25 minutes cooking time per 500g
Maple Syrup Marinade
(makes 260 ml) You will need 1 x recipe to marinate rack of ham and 1 x recipe for Maple Jus. INGREDIENTS
2 tsp dry mustard powder ½ tsp ground cinnamon 30ml (2 tbsp) cider vinegar 160ml (2/3 cup) maple syrup40g (3 tbsp) prepared Dijon mustard 30ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce Maldon sea salt freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
· In small bowl combine dry mustard, cinnamon and vinegar to a paste. · Add maple syrup, Dijon mustard, soy sauce and seasonings. It should be spicy but sweet.
Maple Syrup Jus
(makes 250ml) INGREDIENTS
1 x recipe Maple Syrup Marinade250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
METHOD
· Combine Maple Syrup Marinade and stock in a medium sized pot. · Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Apricot Relish
(makes 500ml/2 cups) This is not a preserve, it is a fresh relish which needs to be kept in the fridge. If there is any left over I love it with celery and cheddar cheese. Use the plumpest dried apricots you can find. I prefer to use dried apricots either from the Barossa Valley, Australia or from Otago, New Zealand. INGREDIENTS
250g (1 ¼ cups) sugar 10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice zest of 1 orange juice of 2 oranges 260g (1 ¾ cups) dried apricots 1 medium (190g) apple (peeled and diced)freshly ground white pepper 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds 2 tsp brown mustard seeds olive oil 30ml (2 tbsp) verjuice
METHOD
· In a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Cook over a medium heat until sugar begins to caramelise. Do not stir. · When sugar has reached a golden caramel colour, add orange zest and turn down the heat. · After a minute, add orange juice, apricots, apple and pepper. Stir to combine. · Continue to cook over a medium heat until the apricots are soft and the relish is thick. · While relish is cooking toast the mustard seeds in a little oil until they just start to pop. Remove from the heat, transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush about half the seeds. · When relish has slightly cooled stir in mustard seeds and verjuice. Refrigerate until ready to use. · Serve at room temperature. Note: This relish will keep indefinitely in the fridge.
