Ham sauce is a term used to refer to a sauce prepared with ham as a base ingredient or sometimes this term is used for a sauce which is served with ham based dishes. Some sauces are also cooked for glazing ham. The ham glaze sauces tend to focus on either savory or sweet notes in order to bring out the sweet and salty flavor of ham. Many ham glaze sauces are prepared using sugar sources like brown sugar, cornstarch, apple sauces, orange sauces or plain white sugar and are spiced with sweet spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, which add extra taste and flavor to the sauce. Sometimes savory spices like pepper and yellow mustard are also added to the sugar source to balance its flavor.
Popular Ham Sauce Recipes
-
Ham Raisin Sauce – This sweet sauce is prepared using ham drippings are one of the ingredients and is usually served over pan –fried ham or baked ham.
Ingredients – Brown sugar, grated orange rind, dry mustard, cornstarch, orange juice, seedless raisins, ham drippings, and ginger ale are required to make this sauce.
Method of Preparation – The sauce preparation begins by blending brown sugar, mustard, orange rind and cornstarch in a container. Orange juice is also added to the mixture and boiled at low heat until the sauce thickens. Raisins and ham drippings are also added and cooked for some more time. Ginger ale is added to the mixture towards the end of cooking.
-
Cola Glaze – This is a very popular and unusual kind of ham glazing sauce prepared using coco cola as a base ingredient.
Ingredients – Pepsi Cola or Coco Cola, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and garlic cloves are used in the preparation of sauce.
Method of Preparation – All ingredients are blended together to form a sauce.
Culinary Purpose – The sauce is drizzled over half baked ham and cooked. The flavor of the dish is enriched by adding cherries or pineapple chunks to the dish towards the end of cooking.
-
Raisin Ham Glaze Sauce - This sweet and spicy sauce is popular in many European countries where the ham is served during the special Christmas dinners.
Ingredients – Raisins, brandy, brown sugar, cornstarch, apple sauce, lemon juice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, mustard, vinegar and water are used in the preparation of sauce.
Method of Preparation – The sauce preparation begins by cooking raisins and brandy in the microwave oven. Applesauce, cornstarch and brown sugar are also cooked in the microwave and combined with raisin mixture and cooked for some more time until the sauce thickens. The sauce is poured over the ham before baking.
Tip – The sauce is also best served as a dipping sauce with baked or grilled ham.
-
Ham Vinegar Sauce – This sauce can be teamed with most of the ham based dishes.
Ingredients – Sugar, mustard powder, all-purpose flour, egg yolks, half-and-half and white vinegar are required to make this sauce.
Method of Preparation – Sugar, flour and mustard powder are whisked in a saucepan along with egg whites. Half and half are heated in a double boiler and cooked with egg white mixture. Vinegar is stirred in towards the end of cooking. The sauce is simmered until it becomes thick.
Serving – This ham sauce is best served with grilled ham.
Nutrition – Each serving of this ham sauce delivers 74 calories with 3.3 grams of fat, and 25 mg of cholesterol.