A true Filipino festive classic, fiesta ham is gently simmered in a fragrant blend of pineapple juice, beer, citrus soda, sugar, and spices until meltingly tender, then finished in the oven with a rich, glossy pineapple glaze. Studded with cloves and caramelised to a golden finish, this ham delivers a perfect balance of sweet, savoury, and lightly spiced flavours. Traditionally served at Christmas and celebrations, it’s a nostalgic centrepiece that brings warmth, flavour, and connection to the table.
Fiesta Ham
Fiesta Ham
Fiesta ham simmered in pineapple and beer, then glazed to a sticky, caramelised finish—sweet, savoury and festive.
- Author
- RoniB's Kitchen
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Servings
- 12
- Category
- Main
- Cuisine
- Filipino
Ingredients
- 3 kg ham (boned or bone-in)
- 750ml beer (San Miguel beer)
- 1.5 ltr pineapple juice
- 475ml Sprite or 7Up
- 240g light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- Pineapple slices
- 500ml of cooking liquid
- 1 can (435g) of pineapple cubes
- 150g light brown sugar
- 50g mustard powder
- cloves
Directions
- Combine pineapple juice, beer, Sprite, sugar and salt in a deep pot. Stir until dissolved.
- Add ham and the cloves. The liquid must go over the ham.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat uncovered.
- Once liquid is boiling, turn down the heat, cover and slowly cook for about an hour. Baste every 15 minutes.
- Take off the heat and cool. Then refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the ham from the pot and place on a roasting tin with a rack the following day.
- Reserve about 475ml of the liquid.
- Score the fat of the ham in a diamond pattern and insert cloves in between the intersecting grooves.
- Heat the oven to 165C and while waiting do the pineapple glaze.
- Combine all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
- For the glaze: pour over a bottle of our BBQ marinade and add the mustard powder in a pan and reduce.
- Brush the prepared ham with half the cooked glaze.
- Put in the ham when oven has reached desired temperature and bake for 1-1.5 hours.
- Baste the ham with the remaining glaze every 20 minutes.
- Increase oven temperature to 200C in the last 5 minutes of cooking to make it nicely browned.
- Place the ham on a board and brush the skin with the juices in the roasting tin.
- Cover with foil and rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve.