Balance The Savory Flavor Of Ham With This Classic Soda

Ham is perhaps happiest when paired with something sweet. There's a reason the words "honey baked" and "ham" are as ubiquitous during the holidays as phrases from a classic Christmas card greeting. Sweet flavors like honey (or honey mustard), brown sugar, pineapple, maple syrup, molasses, jam, and even sugary sodas offset ham's savory nature. That's why some chefs' recommendation to prepare ham with ginger ale shouldn't come as too much of a shock.

Ginger ale is one of America's oldest sodas. The on-flight favorite (which somehow is especially refreshing onboard a plane) and sick-day staple is sweet and spicy. The soft drink gives cocktails an aromatic bite, and makes for a satisfying sip on its own. While your favorite ginger ale brand likely does not contain much real ginger, the beverage still boosts glazes with an earthy flavor reminiscent of the herbaceous root. Soda is the easiest way to create a sweet and sticky glaze for pork, veggies, and even cakes.

To give a special pork dinner an extra pop of flavor, you simply have to douse the meat in ginger ale. According to many takes on the ginger ale method, a little sugar further amplifies the flavor. Some recipes pair the soda with a little fruit juice, like pineapple, orange, or apple for extra sweet flavor, or add mustard for a little more heat. Other versions of ginger ale glazed ham even pour in a bit of rum for an additional boost. You can also dot the dish with cloves or ground cinnamon for layers of flavor.

That picturesque diamond pattern you've probably seen etched across a perfect holiday ham is pretty, but it also serves an important purpose. Your glaze will settle into those crispy rhombic divots and infuse your ham with maximum flavor. To make the most of your ginger ale glaze, be sure not to skip that step.