‘Top Chef’ shares common ham cooking mistakes with festive recipes

The two-time “Top Chef” winner doesn’t just share the importance of ham during the holidays. But it also provides helpful tips to avoid common cooking mistakes. and revealed recipes inspired by his childhood traditions.

Chef Kawai “Phutta” Lo won “Top Chef” in consecutive seasons in 2022 and 2023, becoming the first two-time winner of the show.

“Ham has a history of being a preserved food. It’s a particularly strong tradition in Chinese culture,” Lo told Fox News Digital. “Since the holiday falls in winter, When the weather is too cold to access fresh meat Pigs are generally killed in the fall. Then it is cured to preserve the texture. It makes a good winter meal.”

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Born in Australia to a Hong Kong father and Malaysian mother, Lo grew up in a kitchen. He first learned to cook at his family’s Chinese restaurant. He started working when he was 12 years old.

That’s where Lo, who now lives in New York, learned to perfect the holiday ham.

Buddha Lo was born in Australia. He has a Hong Kong father and a Malaysian mother. A two-time winner of “Top Chef,” “Ham has a history of being a preserved food. It is a particularly strong tradition in Chinese culture,” he said. (David Moir/Bravo via Getty Images)

Lo says ham is the perfect holiday meat because “Accessible for most families. Feeding a large group of people And it serves as a beautiful centerpiece to share at the table.”

But he said cooking ham can be tricky.

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“One of the main challenges of cooking ham in comparison to other meats is That is, it’s not something that people cook all year long,” Lo said.

“Ham is often associated with holidays, like pumpkin pie, so many people only cook it once or twice a year. and not trained enough to be proficient,” he said.

“In addition, ham usually requires a larger oven than other meats. That can be challenging.”

“The real goal is to heat the center of the ham to a certain temperature.”

Lo says there’s a common misconception about how long a ham should stay in the oven.

“Unlike steak, where you can aim for medium-rare, or turkey, which needs to be fully cooked. The ham is fully cooked,” he says. “The real goal is to heat the center of the ham to the required temperature.”

Complicating matters could be the ham glaze.

“People often have trouble getting the right consistency for coatings,” says Lo, “because this technique is not routinely used. Managing the oven temperature and ensuring the glaze doesn’t burn can therefore be difficult.”

Lo’s Holiday Honey, Soy and Chili Glazed Ham is inspired by the flavors of the two-time “Top Chef” award-winning youth. (Handsome Buddha)

5 common mistakes when cooking ham

Lo shares five common mistakes when it comes to cooking ham and gives some tips on how to prevent them.

1. Forget to peel off the skin before scoring.

“Be sure to remove the skin from the ham before scoring and adding the cloves,” he says.

“Scoring allows the coating to penetrate directly into the meat. It adds both flavor and presentation. Don’t throw away the shell. Because it will make the filling more delicious.”

2. Burning glaze

“Caramelizing and burning are two very different things. But people often end up doing the latter,” Lo said.

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“To avoid this common mistake I recommend using a sugar thermometer to check the temperature of the sugar,” he adds. “These thermometers are especially useful because they are designed to read higher temperatures than meat thermometers. And it’s great for sugar and caramel.”

3. Apply the coating too quickly.

“Sugar cooks differently than meat,” he said.

“If you apply the coating from the beginning It will burn before the center of the ham reaches the desired temperature. Instead, cook the ham itself for about 20 minutes, then apply the glaze and return it to the oven.”

4. Do not allow the ham to rest.

“The majority of ham sold in the United States is already cooked. So you don’t need to leave it in the oven as long as you think about it,” Lo said.

“No one likes dry meat. Cook the ham until the internal temperature reaches approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Then take it out to rest. The residual heat will continue to cook the ham. This also helps the coating set. Create beautiful, hard fur.”

Lo says there’s a common misconception about how long a ham should be left in the oven. (Istock)

5. Overcooking

“Bake the ham at a medium temperature. By being gentle and slow, it reaches the target internal temperature without drying out the meat,” he says.

“If necessary, you can always increase the heat at the end to finish caramelizing.”

Honey, soy and chili glazed ham recipe by Buddha Lo.

Lo says the secret ingredient in The “incredibly delicious dish” inspired by the flavors he grew up with is the crispy Lee Kum Kee chilli oil used in the glaze.

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“It’s not like other chili crisps. This one is hot and very umami,” he says. “Combined with honey, sugar and high-quality soy sauce, It creates a sweet and spicy flavor that goes perfectly with the richness of the ham. It gives a delicious glaze flavor.”

Ingredients for ham

4-5 pounds spiral-cut boneless ham (or bone-in if desired)

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1 cup chicken stock (or water to keep the ham moist while baking)

Ingredients for coating

1 cup honey

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Li Kum Kee chili oil

1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee premium soy sauce

30-40 whole cloves for adding to the ham

This honey, soybean and chili glazed ham “retains a lot of heat.” Lo says his special ingredient is Li Kum Kee chili oil. (Handsome Buddha)

direction

Prepare the ham

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place ham, cut side down, in roasting pan.

Baked ham

3. Add the cloves to the ham. Spaced 1 inch apart.

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4. Add 1 cup chicken stock (or water) to the pan to keep the ham moist.

5. Bake the ham uncovered for 20 minutes.

Prepare the coating

6. When the ham is finished baking Pour the stock into a bowl to prepare the glaze.

7. In a medium sized pan Mix honey and brown sugar together. Heat the mixture to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Until it gets a dark caramel color.

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8. Add the prepared stock, soy sauce and crispy chili oil and stir carefully to reduce the temperature. Let the glaze simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Glazed Ham

9. Pour glaze over ham.

10. Return the ham to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, adding more glaze every 10 minutes. The ham will be ready to eat when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve ham

11. Let the ham rest for a few minutes after removing from the oven.

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12. Carve the ham and sprinkle the remaining glaze over the pieces before serving. Enjoy!

This recipe is by Buddha Lo and shared with Fox News Digital.