Ham Loaf with Brown Sugar Glaze

This is going to be a different kind of Easter for our family. For the last 13 years we have been Easter-ing in the Chesapeake Bay area with family who lived there. It was a tradition that everyone loved and looked forward to. The small town that they lived in was filled with awesome thrift shops, great restaurants and sandy shores. It always marked the beginning of Spring for me.

This year, those family members are living in Colorado where they are enjoying sun and snow and since the drive is a wee bit more than 3 hours, we need to find a new tradition for the holiday.

My suggestion is that we go back to this recipe from my childhood. I’ve tweaked it a bit to make it gluten-free so that everyone in the family can enjoy it but its origins are from the Mennonite Community Cookbook, the latest edition of which I was the food stylist. You can find that edition here.

My son calls this meat loaf but it’s proper name is ham loaf. It’s made with ground ham and ground pork which makes it tender and flavorful. {Go pork fat!} I’ve cut out the bread crumbs because honestly, as a gluten-free consumer, they’re SO unnecessary and ruin too many things. Like the quiche I wanted to eat at a café this morning.

“Is your crust-less quiche gluten-free?”
“No, sorry.”
“Okay, is your baked oatmeal gluten-free?”
“No, sorry.”

This interaction is one of the most frustrating as a gluten-free consumer and self-educated cooker/baker. There is no valid reason to add gluten, likely in the form of wheat flour, to either dish. Both dishes can easily be made sans gluten. Breakfast this morning was highly disappointing but this ham loaf will not be!

As if pork and ham isn’t enough, the glaze is made of brown sugar, vinegar and some mustard to create a sweet and tangy dressing. I add it to the pan about half way through cooking and baste the loaf often.

I also make two smaller loaves instead of one large one because everyone loves the outside crusty layer. The more glaze, the better.

Enjoy.

Ham Loaf with Brown Sugar Glaze

 

Author:

www.mrfarmersdaughter.com

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Ingredients

• Ham Loaf:
• 1 lb. fresh ground pork
• 1 lb. fresh ground ham (not sliced, ground through a meat grinder)
• 1 egg, large
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• Glaze:
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅔ cup water
• ⅔ cup vinegar (white or apple cider are both good)
• 1-1/4 tsp. dry mustard (you substitute prepared mustard, use 1-1/2 tsp.)

Instructions

1. For the Ham Loaf:
2. Mix the meats together with the other ingredients.
3. Form into two equal sized loaves.
4. Bake at 350˚ for about 30 minutes.
5. Pour prepared glaze overtop and baste often.
6. Bake for another 30 minutes.
7. For the Glaze:
8. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
9. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes.
10. Pour over ham loaf.

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