Pineapple Ham

Name: Pineapple Ham
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 h 25 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 bone-in, fully cooked unsliced half ham (7 1/2 to 10 pounds); 2 cups canned pineapple juice; 1 pineapple (see Tip); 6 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar; 6 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons); 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; Freshly ground black pepper or ground cloves

By Eric Kim

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Pineapple Ham — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 3½ hours
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Rating: 4(151)
Comments: Read comments

Though this retro classic — bejeweled with rings of canned pineapple, cloves and maraschino cherries — is still beloved and can be found on many holiday tables, using fresh fruit and a punchy, sweet-tart glaze results in a much brighter pineapple flavor. Baking a bone-in half ham, cut side down in a lagoon of pineapple juice, means the sweet juice infuses the pork as the ham releases some of its saltiness into the liquid. Don’t bother decorating the outside of your ham with fresh pineapple, as the enzymes in the fruit will turn the meat to mush. Instead, add slices to the pan in the final moments of glazing, which burnishes the meat’s diamond scoring that mimics a pineapple’s quilted peel.

Featured in: Pineapple and Ham Belong Together

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

1bone-in, fully cooked unsliced half ham (7½ to 10 pounds)
2cups canned pineapple juice
1pineapple (see Tip)
6packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
6tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1½tablespoons Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper or ground cloves

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Position a rack near the bottom of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp paring knife, make parallel cuts across the surface of the ham, about a ½-inch deep and 1 inch apart, then repeat in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.
Step 2
Place the ham in a large roasting pan, cut side down, and pour over the pineapple juice. Cover the ham with parchment, then cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake until the ham is heated through, 2 to 2½ hours. The internal temperature should reach 135 degrees, which takes about 15 minutes per pound.
Step 3
While the ham cooks, trim the top and bottom off the pineapple, then cut off the peel. Halve the pineapple from top to bottom, then slice into ½-inch-thick half moons. Using a small circular cookie cutter or small knife, cut out and discard the core.
Step 4
Carefully remove the ham from the oven and raise the temperature to 425 degrees.
Step 5
Uncover the ham and ladle out 2 cups of the liquid into a large skillet. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice, mustard and a few generous grinds of black pepper or a pinch of cloves to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat to make the glaze. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 6
Scatter the pineapple around the pan. Using a spoon or a brush, apply half of the glaze all over the surface of the ham and some over the pineapple slices. Bake, uncovered, until the glaze is bronzed, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the ham to a cutting board to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the pineapple and extra glaze.

Tip

In some markets, you can buy fresh pineapple already peeled, cored and sliced in the refrigerated produce section. You can use that as a shortcut here or prepare a pineapple as detailed in step 3.

Ratings

4 out of 5

151 user ratings

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Comments

stephanie2 years ago

while pineapple does contain an enzyme that tenderizes meat, it absolutely will not turn an entire ham (!!) esp one beneath a thick layer of skin and fat, to mush. that's ridiculous and those of us that have been cooking & eating pineapple studded hams for ages know it doesn't result in mushy ham. if this were true you wouldn't suggest cooking the ham in the juice, cut side down at that. the rest of the recipe is legit, but i just don't understand why that was put in the headnotes.

Ellen2 years ago

Note that most pineapple studded hams are made with canned pineapple, and the canning process kills the enzyme.

Chuck2 years ago

My wife's extended family has a long tradition of a special ham dinner. They soak the city ham overnight and then follow this recipe reserving the pineapple slices separately as a side. The juices from the ham are made into gravy with a mixture of flour/water added slowly to the pan over low heat bringing it to a boil while the ham rests. Served with mashed potatoes.

Harvey2 months ago

I made this last year and it was great. I also kept the juices and ended up using them in split pea soup I made in the crock pot with the ham bone. Probably the best split pea soup I've ever made and hope to duplicate it this year - basically making this ham again this Easter so I can make the soup again!

Lisa5 months ago

The glaze is divine! I had bought a ham before looking for a recipe. I was looking to prepare it with ingredients already in the house. I made the glaze as the recipe indicates. I skipped the fresh pineapple to avoid going back to the store. I look forward to making the recipe as written. The glaze on pineapple chunks sounds wonderful!

Hazel6 months ago

Followed the directions as written, but I allowed the ham to sit in the pineapple juice overnight before baking. The flavor and color after browning was wonderful but the texture of the meat itself was a bit tough. Maybe cooking it longer would have made it more tender? I'm not sure.

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