Oven-Baked Ham with Apple and Dried Fruits in Orange Glaze

⏳ Time

2 hours

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

A family feast dish from our editor, Emily Smith. She says: "On New Year's Eve, our large family, with children, grandchildren, uncles, and aunts, usually gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Our family was international, so the table featured stuffed pike, jellied meat, and my Belarusian grandfather's signature ham, which he prepared himself and kept the women and children away from the stove. In my adult life, I don't have the patience for pike, I don't like jellied meat, but the ham somehow became part of my genes, and I make it for every holiday. It takes a lot of effort, but it's both a magnificent cold and hot dish all at once. And if you make a larger batch of filling, you can even serve it as a separate appetizer."

Ingredients

Pork tenderloin - 1⅖ kg
Green peppercorns - ½ spoons
Coriander essential oil - ½ spoons
Olive Oil - 1 fl oz
Sugar - 2 spoons
Onion - 1 head
Butter - 1.8 oz
Vegetable Oil - 1 fl oz
Rosemary - 2 sprigs
Champignons - 5.3 oz
Green Apples - 1 piece
Meyer Lemon Juice - to taste
Dried Apricots - 1.8 oz
Raisins - 1.8 oz
Feta cheese - 3.5 oz
Oranges - 1 piece
Honey - 2 spoons
Soy Sauce - 1 tablespoon
Mild Chili Spice - 1 piece
Salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

For the brine, pour 2 liters of water into a pot, add 4 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, coriander, whole peppercorns, and olive oil. Bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and then allow it to cool completely.

Step 2

Place the meat in the brine and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Step 3

Prepare the filling. Dice the onion into small cubes. Heat butter and vegetable oil in a skillet, add chopped rosemary leaves, the onion, and sauté for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes until golden brown. Finally, add finely chopped dried apricots, raisins (or cranberries), diced apple, mix well, drizzle with lemon juice, and let cool. Incorporate grated cheese into the mixture, stir, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

For the glaze, place the zest in a saucepan, pour in the orange juice, add honey, soy sauce, and finely chopped chili pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer over low heat for 5–7 minutes until it thickens into a glaze.

Step 5

Place the rack in the center of the oven and position a high-sided baking tray underneath it. Preheat the oven to 482°F. Pat the pork loin dry to remove any brine, and place it on a cutting board with the fat side facing up. Optionally, trim the fat or leave a 0.5 cm layer.

Step 6

Turn the meat so that the lean side is facing up. Make a lengthwise cut along the entire piece, 2 cm deep, leaving about 3–5 cm from the edges. Insert the knife into the cut and make symmetrical cuts inside the piece at a 45-degree angle from both sides, about 4 cm deep, to allow more filling to fit into the cavity.

Step 7

Do not pack the incision too tightly with the filling. Shape the piece back to its original form. Tie the meat with kitchen twine, wrapping it every 5 cm, place it on a rack with the incision facing up, and put it in the oven. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 248°F. Remove the meat and brush it with orange glaze. Cook for 1.5 hours, occasionally taking the meat out and brushing it with glaze.