Best Homemade Ham Recipe: Easy & Delicious

A few days ago, I showed you how to make homemade poultry deli meat (you can find the recipe here)! After that post, I received several messages asking for a recipe to make ham-style deli meat. Well, how could I say no? It’s a breeze!

I tried it with two different herb combinations, and I’m excited to share the results with you! My little one loved it to the last bite (in fact, I didn’t even get a chance to photograph the first batch!). You can use it in sandwiches, toast, pizza, or enjoy it on its own—however you like!

There are no excuses not to try this recipe because it’s incredibly easy!

My Homemade Ham

My Ham Recipe!
(Gluten-free, preservative-free, no artificial colours, glutamate-free, lactose-free)

Ingredients

• 500g pork leg meat

For the Brine:

• 2 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon onion powder or dried onion flakes (or 1 finely chopped onion if you don’t have the powder)

Herb Mix No. 1:

• 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• A pinch of ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika flakes (boukovo)

Or, you can choose:

Herb Mix No. 2:

For this mix, I didn’t measure with teaspoons. I used a combination of whole and ground pepper, sweet paprika flakes, and oregano.

Here’s the rewritten text with a more natural flow:

Instructions

1. In a bowl, dissolve the honey and salt in the hot water.
2. Add the cold water and stir again.
3. Place the meat in a food-safe bag and pour in the brine.
4. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 18-24 hours.
5. After marinating, take the meat out of the brine, pat it dry with some paper towels, and coat it with the herb mix. You can either tie the meat with some twine to give it a rounder shape, or ask your butcher for a netting roll.
6. Roast the meat at 150°C (302°F) in an oven with the top and bottom heating elements on. Place the meat on a rack with a baking tray underneath. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 65°C (149°F) when measured with a meat thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, estimate the cooking time to be around 2 hours.
7. The ham can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.