December 24, 2025 | 1:00pm
MANILA, Philippines — A festive ham is always the star of the Noche Buena.
While there are those who make sure they cure the ham themselves, most of us do not have the luxury of time to do so, given the tremendous workload we usually have during the holiday season.
So most of us simply buy our ham, which is not bad, as it allows us to choose which one tastes the best and fits perfectly into our budget.
Not to worry about how festive it will look, for there are always recipes that help us “dress” our ham in holiday style.
Take this Purefoods Fiesta Ham with Apple Chips and Honey-Mustard Glaze recipe developed by the San Miguel Foods Culinary Center. This baked ham recipe wraps the juicy ham in sweet Fuji apples tossed in lemon, then glazed with a rich blend of honey, mustard, and brown sugar.
Stud it with cloves and simply roast it in the oven until golden and caramelized. Easy to prepare but show-stopping in appearance as the centerpiece of the Noche Buena spread, it delivers that irresistible sweet and savory treat to the palate with every bite.
Purefoods Fiesta Ham with Apple Chips and Honey-Mustard Glaze
Ham ingredients:
- 1 pc. whole Purefoods Fiesta Ham, thawed
- 1 pc. red Fuji apple, cored and sliced thinly using a mandolin
- 1 pc. lemon, juice extracted
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
Glaze ingredients:
- 1/4 cup prepared mustard
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 350oF.
- Toss apple slices in lemon juice to keep them from browning. Set aside.
- Prepare glaze by combining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
- Using a basting brush, spread glaze all over the ham.
- Cover ham with apple slices and secure using cloves.
- Apply another coating of glaze.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Take out ham from the oven and baste once or twice during the baking process.
- Continue baking until apples turn golden or caramelized.
- Serve immediately.
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