Beer-braised ham with roasted apples and fennel
- Preparation 20 min
- Cooking 4 h 5 min
- Servings 4 to 6
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍖 The beer-braised ham that transforms a meal into a celebration
This beer-braised ham with roasted apples and fennel delivers exactly what you’re looking for in a spectacular reception dish: smoked ham braised for 4 hours in a blend of blonde beer, maple syrup and brown sugar, tender and juicy meat that comes off in perfect slices, caramelized Spartan apples and fennel that add that sweet-tart touch. Herbes de Provence, cloves and Dijon mustard create incredible aromatic complexity. It’s the kind of dish that makes the house smell beautifully good for hours and impresses everyone around the table. Perfect for Easter, Christmas, a Sunday brunch, or any special occasion that deserves a memorable dish.
🍺 The slow braising and regular basting that change everything
Braising at low temperature (300°F) for 3h30 while basting the ham every 20 minutes is the secret to incredibly tender meat and a perfect syrupy sauce. Each basting allows the beer-maple-brown sugar mixture to penetrate the meat and create that shiny caramelized crust. Adding the apples and fennel for the last 30 minutes uncovered transforms them into a melting sweet-salty garnish. Simple, majestic, and it delivers every time.
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🔪 Baste the ham religiously every 20 minutes
Each basting allows the beer-maple-brown sugar mixture to penetrate the meat and create that shiny caramelized crust. Skipping bastings gives ham that’s dry in spots and a less developed sauce. Setting a timer and being disciplined ensures perfect results.
📐 Use enough liquid to cover half the ham
Too much liquid dilutes the flavors and prevents caramelization. Not enough and the ham dries out. Aiming for halfway up creates the perfect balance — the bottom braises in the liquid while the top caramelizes with regular basting.
⏱ Add apples and fennel only for the last 30 minutes
Adding them too early turns them to mush. Adding them for the last 30 minutes uncovered caramelizes them slightly while keeping them tender with a pleasant texture. They also absorb all the flavors of the concentrated sauce.
❄️ Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes
This final step uncovered allows the sauce to reduce and become syrupy while the ham develops that shiny caramelized crust. Keeping the lid gives a watery sauce and pale ham rather than golden.
🔥 Let rest 10 minutes before removing rind and slicing
Slicing immediately loses precious juices. Ten minutes of rest allows the juices to redistribute in the meat. Removing the rind after resting rather than before cooking keeps the ham juicy during the long braise.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
- ½ Spanish onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 cups (750 ml) blonde beer
- 1 large smoked ham about 6 lb (3 kg / 105 oz) picnic style with bone and rind
- 1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup
- 1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) herbes de Provence
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves
- 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) water
- 2 Spartan apples cut into quarters
- ½ fennel bulb cut into quarters
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Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze with the beer and scrape the bottom well to recover all the garlic and onion bits.
- Add the ham, maple syrup, brown sugar, herbes de Provence, bay leaves, Dijon mustard and cloves. Pour enough water to reach halfway up the ham. Cover, put in the oven and cook for 3h30, basting the ham every 20 minutes.
- Add the apples and fennel around the ham, then baste generously. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 30 minutes uncovered to caramelize.
- Using a large knife, carefully remove the rind from the ham and cut beautiful slices. Serve with the cooked apples and fennel and drizzle with sauce.
Yes, an amber brings more caramel, a wheat more spicy notes, an amber more malty depth. Avoid very bitter beers (IPAs) which can create an unpleasant bitterness with long braising. Mild blondes remain the most versatile option.
Absolutely. Cook completely up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate in its sauce. Reheat covered at 300°F for 45 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes to revive the crust. The flavor even improves with time.
Yes, slice and freeze with a little sauce in airtight containers up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge the night before and reheat gently in the oven or microwave. Perfect for having ready portions.
The possibilities are endless: hot sandwiches, quiches, omelets, pasta gratins, split pea soup, fried rice, croque-monsieur. Beer-braised ham adds an incredible smoky-sweet flavor to any dish.
Yes, but use two Dutch ovens rather than one huge one. Two 3 kg hams in a single Dutch oven don’t allow even cooking. Two Dutch ovens in the oven at the same time give better results for a big reception.
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