The Christmas Ham | Le jambon de Noël

The Ingredients | “Les Ingrédients”

1.5lbs Smithfield Anytime Favorite sliced Hickory-Smoked Ham

1/2 cup of Coca-Cola

1 cup of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of butter

1 cup or 283 g of maraschino cherries

1 can of pineapples crushed or chunks, 15.25oz

The Steps| Les ’etapes

Step 1: Pour ½ cup of Coca-Cola or Dark Sweet Soda into a pot with 1 cup of packed light brown sugar and 4 tbsp butter. Cook on medium heat until the butter and brown sugar are dissolved

Step 2:While the butter is dissolving, take the cherries and toothpicks and decorate the top of the ham. Once the mixture has dissolved, remove the pot from the heat

Step 3: Feel free to skip this part depending on the pineapples used. Using pineapple chunks is best to make a cherry and pineapple kebab to decorate the ham, or simply pour crushed pineapples after the cherries have been decorated on the ham.

Step 4: Place the cherries in a gradual straight line therefore slightly staggered about an inch apart. The second row is placed about an inch to half an inch from the first row, and repeat the process with about four cherries. Follow the same process for the next row, which would be about three, then two cherries, and then one. You should have roughly 15 cherries for the ham.

Step 5: Now, the coke and sugar mixture should be melted. Pour your Coke mixture onto the ham, followed by crushed pineapple if crushed pineapples were used.

Step 6:  Take the reserved juice from the cherry jar and pour it over the ham, and place the reserved cherries at the bottom of the baking dish to your desire

Step 7: Cover the ham with aluminum foil without piercing the foil paper. The easiest and most efficient way of covering your hands is by taking the aluminum foil from the bottom and making a sack, essentially

Step 8: Cook at 325°F for 18 to 20 minutes. Do not overheat.  Enjoy & Bon Appétit