Limerick has a culinary specialty all its own: Limerick Ham! And not just any ham, please: smoked ham with juniper berries, cooked in cider, sugar and mustard. A delicious treat, available in most Limerick pubs!
Unlike other regions of Ireland, Limerick likes to smoke its ham using juniper berries: this gives the meat a completely different aroma, and a slightly peppery flavor.
This fragrance is counterbalanced by the sweet aromas of cider and sugar, and a touch of acidity from the mustard.
The people of Limerick are accustomed to eating it in slices, with potatoes or cabbage. The result is astonishing, and particularly tasty.
Recipe: The Limerick Ham
Ingredients
1kg Limerick ham (smoked with juniper berries)
1 liter Irish cider (Bulmers, for example)
1/2 cup brown sugar or a little honey, as desired
1 teaspoon mustard
20 cloves
Preparation
Place your Limerick ham in a bowl of cold water overnight.
The next day, place in a saucepan with the same water and bring to the boil.
Still in the saucepan, replace the water with the cider. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave the ham in the marinade for an hour.
Then remove from the pan, and place cloves in the flesh.
Mix the mustard and sugar (or honey) in a bowl.
Then rub the ham with the mixture.
Place the ham in an oven dish for 15 minutes at 180°C.
All that’s left to do is enjoy, with a few potatoes!
