Mandarin Orange Ginger Glazed Berkshire Ham

Mandarin Orange Ginger Glazed Berkshire Ham right out of the oven ready to carve.

The Berkshire pig breed originated in Berkshire County, England about 400 years ago. The breed is known for its outstanding, superior flavor and tenderness. Berkshire pigs are considered a heritage breed, meaning they are raised for flavor and tenderness, not for speed. And because of that, they are a bit more expensive than commercially, mass-produced pigs, but every bite is worth every penny.

Click on the photo to see full image.

Normally Berkshires are black and white with some white on their snout, lower legs and tail. Learn more about these world renowned hogs from the American Berkshire Assoc.  http:///www.americanberkshire.com

We have never had Berkshire ham before and this juicy, flavorful piece of meat made our Easter feast very special. It will not be our last Berkshire ham! I bought it at my favorite fine food purveyor, D’Artagnan.

The Mandarin Orange Ginger Glaze made the ham even more special and literally takes minutes to make. The glaze would also be excellent on pork chops, chicken or even shrimp or fish.

To make the glaze start by juicing 4 Mandarin oranges or enough to make one cup. Then zest one of the oranges and set aside. Peel and grate 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root and 1 large clove garlic or about 1 Tbsp.

You can use any orange you like, but Mandarins are particularly sweet and juicy, less acidic than some oranges and have a very citrussy flavor. In some cultures, Mandarins are a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

To make the Mandarin Orange Ginger Glaze:

In a saucepan on medium high heat, whisk together:

1/2 cup chicken stock; preferably homemade

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice; preferably Mandarins

zest of one orange

2 Tbsp. grated ginger root; remove the skin before grating

1 Tbsp. grated garlic

1/4 tsp. ground clove

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/4 tsp freshy ground black pepper

Bring the mixture to a boil and continue boiling for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the glaze thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.

That’s it!

As my “friend” Ina Garten would say…”How easy is that?!”

Let it cool slightly before pouring over the ham. We had a huge 20 lb. ham and this amount of glaze was perfect. Score the ham before pouring the glaze over. Even though the ham is fully cooked, to heat it through, place in a 400 degree preheated oven. Generally when heating a pre-cooked ham you would set the temp much lower, more like 325 degrees, but in this case you want the glaze to get nice and sticky.

Heat the ham at high heat for about one hour. Reduce oven temp to 350 and continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

This beautiful ham was the star of Easter dinner! 

Next time, I will share Boursin Creamed Spinach Souffle,

which really is not a souffle at all and another very easy, but delicious recipe!

Print Pin

Mandarin Orange Ginger Glaze

Very flavorful and not at all overpowering. Perfect with our Berkshire Easter ham, but delicious any day of the year!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Freshly squeezed Mandarin orange juice
• 1/2 cup Chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. Ginger root, grated
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic, grated
• 1/4 tsp. Ground clove
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground Black pepper
• Zest from one orange

Instructions

• Squeeze enough Mandarin oranges to make 1 cup juice. Zest one orange.
• Peel and grate ginger root and garlic.
• In a saucepan, on medium high heat, add 1 cup orange juice, zest of one orange, 1/2 chicken stock, grated ginger and garlic, 1/4 tsp. clove, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 tsp. black pepper. and bring to a steady boil for about 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes until the glaze begins to thicken.
• Remove from the heat and cool slightly before pouring over the ham.