THE Noche Buena table is not complete without a Christmas Ham. As early as November, you can already see these cured hams being sold in supermarkets. While these commercial hams are cured, you can make it extra special by glazing it with sweetness mixed with a tinge of sourness. How can you do that?

Watch chef Bong Ignacio as he cooks the Pineapple and Star Anise Glazed Ham.

But first, here are the ingredients:

1 pc Cured Ham
5 to 7 pcs Star Anise
2 pcs Bay Leaf
10 pcs Black Peppercorn
Diced Onion
4pcs Whole Garlic cloves
1 L Pineapple Juice (unsweetened)
60 g Brown Sugar
Pineapple slices for garnish
Parsley leaf for garnish

After preparing the ingredients you need, follow the following procedure to make your Christmas Ham special.

1. If the cured ham you bought is salty, you can soak it first in cold water for 24 hours.
2. Change the water four times.
3. Drain the Ham and pat dry.
4. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the garnishes.
5. Add the ham and bring it to a slow simmer.
6. Cook for 1 to 1.5 hours or until ham is fork-tender.
7. Remove the ham and place it on a roasting rack over a roasting pan.
8. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
9. Meanwhile, reduce simmering liquid until you it becomes thick and has a glaze-like consistency.
10. Bake the ham for 45 minutes. Don’t forget to glaze it every 15 minutes.
11. When you start smelling the aroma of the ham, take it out of the oven.
12. Garnish it with parsley and pineapple slices on the side and serve it to your family.

Now, slice the ham. You can add star anise, pepper and bayleaf to entice people with the taste of spices. The sweetness of the glaze will naturally balance the flavor of the spices.

One tip when eating glazed ham is to have pineapple slices, which are rich in fiber. ready. This can flash out the fats in the ham.