How to Prepare Ham for Glazing
The first thing you need to do to prepare a ham for glazing is to remove the rind. This can be done with a sharp knife or a scalpel. I use disposable scalpels which can be purchased from pharmacies. They are generally considerably sharper than knives and make cutting through pork and ham rind as easy as slicing butter.
Begin by separating the rind around the hock. First position the ham so that it’s easy for you to work. Now, using a zig zag motion cut through the rind all the way around the hock so you can begin to lift the rind away from the bone. If you need to turn the ham over and continue on the other side.
Now move the ham again so that the hand you’ll be using to lift the rind is your working hand, that is the one you write with.
Now use your thumb and fingers to slide under the rind and gradually lift it away from the flesh. You should be able to use your fingers to remove most of the rind but if you come across a stubborn section, use the knife or scalpel to loosen it.
Don’t discard the rind, it can be used to cover the leftover ham in the fridge to keep it moist.
If you come across stubborn sections, use your knife or scalpel again to loosen these sections, then résumé using your hands again.
Continue to move the ham into positions that make using your hands to remove the rind, easy.
Once the rind is removed, you’ll need to trim away some of the fat. How much will depend on whether you’re glazing the ham or carving it as is. I’d leave about half a centimetre if you’re glazing and trim down to quarter centimetre if you’re carving as is. Removing the fat is often easier with a knife, and cutting away from you is a good idea for safety reasons.
Now we need to score the fat. This will produce that pineapple design as the fat cooks and browns in the oven. For those who don’t want to glaze, this is a nice alternative way to present your ham. Just make long cuts about 2 cm apart in one direction down the length of the ham, then do the same in the other direction so they criss cross.
