Ingredients Meat + Poultry Pork Ham Guinness-Glazed Ham A simple glaze of dark stout and brown sugar develops a malty, caramellike bittersweetness in the oven. By Jp McMahon Jp McMahon Dr. JP McMahon is a chef, restaurateur, and author changing the way people think about Irish cooking. As culinary director of EatGalway Restaurant Group, he oversees Aniar, Cava Bodega, and Tartare, plus Aniar Boutique Cookery School. He wrote The Irish Cookbook and founded and directs the symposium Food on The Edge. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 14, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Caitlin Bensel Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 12 to 16 Jump to recipe The two-ingredient glaze, made with Guinness and brown sugar, delivers deep, malty, caramellike flavor with minimal effort.Smoky Irish ham absorbs the bittersweet glaze, creating a rich, balanced finish.As the ham roasts and the glaze reduces, it thickens into a syrupy sauce that can be brushed over the meat before serving. This celebration-worthy Guinness-glazed Irish ham from chef Jp McMahon comes together with just three ingredients and demands very little attention in the kitchen, so you can focus on preparing tasty sides to complete your spread. What is Irish ham? Instead of being dry-cured and packed in salt, Irish ham is first soaked in liquid brine and then smoked over peat moss or juniper to impart a distinct flavor. It's a bit less salty than American ham; here, its thin layer of fat absorbs the flavors of the Guinness glaze. How do you glaze and cook ham? For this Irish ham recipe, allow 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes in the oven; you'll need your trusty meat thermometer to guide you through the process. The ham first roasts for about an hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 110°F; during this time, you'll turn the ham every 20 minutes. Once it hits 110°F, stop turning the ham and let it go for at least another half an hour, basting it every 10 minutes, until the thermometer registers 145°F when inserted in the thickest portion of the meat. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Irish ham may be ordered online from foodireland.com. If using an 8 1/2-pound spiral-sliced bone-in ham, proceed with Step 1 as directed. Tent ham in skillet with aluminum foil; roast at 350°F until the internal temperature registers 110°F, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning and basting with ham glaze every 30 minutes. Remove foil and place ham on its side in skillet. Proceed with recipe as directed in Steps 3 through 5 (the spiral ham will not be tied, so there is no need to untie it in Step 5). Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 to 16 servings 3 cups (24 ounces) stout beer (such as Guinness Draught) 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar 1 (about 6 1/2-pound) Irish ham (such as Donnelly Imported Cured Irish Ham), tied, or hickory-smoked spiral-sliced bone-in half ham (such as Carando), glaze packet discarded Directions Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lowest position. Stir together beer and brown sugar in a large oven-safe high-sided skillet. Add ham; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes, turning ham occasionally. Transfer skillet to preheated oven; roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of ham registers 110°F, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning ham every 20 minutes. Continue roasting at 350°F, without turning, until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of ham registers 145°F, 30 minutes to 1 hour, basting ham with beer mixture in skillet every 10 minutes. Transfer ham to a serving platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Return beer mixture in skillet to heat over medium; cook, stirring often and skimming fat if needed, until thickened, syrupy, and reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Untie ham; brush with 1/4 cup beer glaze. Serve ham hot alongside remaining 3/4 cup glaze. Originally appeared: February 2020 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.