A Québec sugar-shack table often brings together hearty dishes with maple flavours. This oven-roasted ham is one home-style interpretation: a fully cooked cured ham is warmed gently, then brushed with a maple-Dijon glaze near the end so the sugars turn glossy without scorching. Recipes and cooking methods vary across Québec.
Jambon à l’érable is a familiar Québec pairing of cured ham and maple syrup, often served as part of a sugar-shack meal. There is no single fixed method: ham may be simmered, baked or smoked, and glazes differ. This version uses a commercially cooked, bone-in ham and a tangy maple-Dijon glaze. Gentle covered heating helps keep the meat moist; glazing only near the end protects the syrup from burning.
Prepare the oven and panHeat the oven to 160°C. Set the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Arrange the onion around it, add 250 ml water to the pan and cover the ham loosely with foil.
Warm the hamRoast for about 90 minutes, then check the thickest part with a clean digital thermometer without touching the bone. Continue heating as needed; the time depends on the ham’s shape and starting temperature.
Make the glazeWhile the ham warms, whisk the maple syrup, Dijon, cider vinegar, 15 ml water and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Glaze in thin coatsWhen the ham is close to 60°C in the centre, remove the foil and brush on a thin layer of glaze. Return it to the oven uncovered. Brush with more glaze every 7–8 minutes, watching closely so the sugars do not scorch.
Reach a safe temperatureContinue heating until the centre reaches at least 71°C. If the glaze is browning too quickly, tent the ham loosely with foil while it finishes heating.
Rest and carveTransfer the ham to a clean board and rest for 20 minutes. Slice across the grain and serve with the remaining warmed glaze. Discard the onion and pan liquid, or use strained pan liquid only after bringing it to a boil.
Keep the ham refrigerated until preparation. Wash hands, thermometer and utensils after handling raw foods, and use clean utensils for serving. Follow any more specific reheating directions on the ham package while ensuring the centre reaches 71°C. The recipe assumes a fully cooked product; do not use it for a raw ham without a suitable raw-ham cooking method.
Serve with potatoes, baked beans, peas or crusty bread. The onion and pan water are for roasting, not intended as a side dish. The 2 kg bone-in ham does not provide 2 kg of edible meat, so portions depend on the bone size and accompaniments.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 2–3 days. Reheat leftovers to 74°C. The cooked ham can be frozen in tightly sealed portions; thaw in the refrigerator.
Rounded ingredient-based estimate. It assumes about 1.3 kg edible meat from the bone-in ham and that all glaze is consumed. Ham brands vary substantially in sodium and edible yield; check the package label for a closer estimate.
Contains mustard. Check the Dijon label for other allergens and cross-contact information. Keep the ham refrigerated before cooking and avoid cross-contamination. Measure in the thickest part without touching bone; the centre must reach at least 71°C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C.
