Preparation

1. First, let’s start by giving the ham a little boil to desalinate it. Place the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the ham from the pan and discard the cooking water.
2. Return the ham to the pan. Add beers, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, pepper, cloves, parsley, thyme and sage. Add water to cover the ham. Bring to a boil, skim if necessary and simmer over low heat, covered, for 4 hours.
3. Remove the ham from the broth, remove the rind and as much fat as possible. Place the ham in a roasting pan. Strain the ham broth and allow it to cool, then refrigerate or freeze it to make a soup. Set aside 2 to 3 tablespoons for lacquering.
4. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). To make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix the maple sugar, mustard and broth to make a thick sauce. Brush the ham with the glaze. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, basting 4 or 5 times with the juices obtained in the roasting pan or until the ham is well glazed and has a nice caramelized colour.

Getting organized: You can find bone-in half hams or shoulder bone-in hams weighing half the weight in butcher shops. Calculate about 300 g (10 oz) per person before cooking, taking into account the loss due to the bone, rind and fat. The important thing is to calculate about 45 minutes of cooking time per kilogram.

To glaze half a ham, halve the glaze ingredients and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the ham is well caramelized. Tip: You can pre-cook the ham the day before, remove the rind and remove the fat. The next day, take it out of the fridge 45 minutes before lacquering it. All you have to do is put it in the oven to finish cooking it and caramelize it as you wish.