Dinner

Cider braised short ribs loaded with veggies is my kind of winter meal. Short ribs cooked low and slow in sweet apple cider give this one pot meal incredible flavor. Serve them over mashed potatoes or polenta for a delicious and easy dinner.

If you’ve only tried red wine braised short ribs, I can’t wait for you to try this recipe. This is the epitome of cold weather comfort food.

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Cider braised short ribs

It’s no secret that winter is my least favorite season, however it does get serious bonus points for the kind of cooking that it ushers in… the braise!

Culinary comfort, the only real benefit of freezing temperatures.

Another benefit of braising is, it’s easy. Many braises are one-pot meals, which means you aren’t left with an entire sink of dirty dishes, something I can really appreciate.

What is a braise?

What is a “braise” exactly? In its most basic definition, it’s cooking something (usually meat) in a liquid (usually stock, wine or a combination thereof) on low heat for a longer period of time. 

Most often, braises are tough cuts of meat that benefit from long, slow cooking – turning them into the most succulent and flavorful of meals.

Ingredients

• Bone-in beef short ribs
• Mirepoix – carrots, celery and onions
• Garlic – lots of it, please.
• Apple cider (not apple juice)
• Beef or chicken stock
• Apple – I used a Honeycrisp, use whatever apple you love.
• Herbs – Rosemary, thyme, bay leaves
• Flour – to dust the short ribs.
• Salt and pepper

What do I need to make this recipe?

I have a particular pot that I use for braises, a Le Creuset enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. I have had this pot for almost 25 years. It is not inexpensive, but in my opinion, it’s worth the investment.

Another piece of equipment that I would recommend is a good chef’s knife. Choose a knife that feels good in your hand and has good balance. I’ve had the same Wüsthof knife almost as long as I’ve had the Dutch oven pot, and I’m still using them both.

How to make cider braised short ribs

Any kind of a braise is a really easy meal to make, but they generally take time. If you work from home, this is a great dinner to start around lunchtime and let it slowly simmer away until the evening.

First, season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy about it, season them aggressively. Next, dust them with a bit of flour.

Sear them in a bit of oil in a hot Dutch oven until they are golden brown on both sides, then set them aside.

Wipe out the pot to get rid of the oil and dark bits of flour. Add the vegetables into the pot, along with the apple cider and stock.

Finally, nestle the short ribs back into the pot and put the lid on before sliding into the oven for the next few hours.

What can I serve with this?

Here are a few recipes that go really well with these cider braised short ribs:

• Buttermilk biscuits
• Beet apple spinach salad
• Clementine upside down cake

And there you have it! Cider braised short ribs are a delicious and easy, “stick to your ribs” kind of supper that is perfect for colder weather.

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Yield: 5 servings

Cider braised short ribs with vegetables

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Apple cider braised short ribs cooked low and slow give this one pot meal amazing flavor.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups beef (or chicken) stock
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 apple, seeded and quartered
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• kosher salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy ovenproof pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium high heat.
3. Season flour with a little salt and pepper, mix it with your fingers and dredge the short ribs in the flour. Shake off the excess flour and set aside.
4. When the oil is hot, carefully add the ribs to the pot and brown on both sides. (You may have to do this in two batches; you don't want to crowd them or they won't brown properly.)
5. Remove the ribs from the oil and set aside. (This can be done a day ahead if you are pressed for time; cover and refrigerate until ready to braise.)
6. Wipe out the pot, then add the onions. Reduce heat to medium and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 10 - 12 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper grinder and stir. 
7. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. 
8. Add apple cider to the pot and stir to combine. Put the ribs back into the pot, then add bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and stock. 
9. Season with a few pinches of salt and a few more turns of the pepper grinder. Place lid on the pot and slide into the oven for 3 - 3 1/2 hours.
10. Remove the pot from the oven and allow the ribs to cool slightly, uncovered. Remove the ribs and set aside, remove bay leaves, rosemary and thyme, and discard.
11. Remove vegetables from the pot and pour liquid into a glass measuring cup. Skim the fat from the surface, then puree the braising liquid with 1/4 of the vegetables to make a gravy. (*see note)
12. Return the short ribs to the pot and serve.

Notes

Chef's Tip:

To skim the fat, I use a gravy separator. The other option is to put it in the freezer for a bit to let it solidify. Then, you can easily lift the layer of fat right off the top.

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• 
  Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 503Sodium: 374mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gProtein: 95g

Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!

Originally published 12/23/11, most recent update 1/18/22.

This is the best ham glaze recipe I have ever tasted. With just a touch of heat and a bit of bite from the mustard to balance the sweetness of the honey, this glaze hits all the right notes. Sweet, sticky, caramelized edges give way to juicy slices of ham packed with flavor. This ham will be the star of your holiday dinner and the best side to go with it is everyone’s favorite 5 ingredient easy corn casserole. 

Spiral sliced hams are fully cooked, making them ideal for large gatherings. All you have to do is layer on a flavorful glaze and heat it in the oven. Five minutes of hands on time is all you need for a juicy, flavorful holiday ham.

Honey mustard glazed ham

These six ingredients are all you need to make the most ham glaze recipe you’ve ever had.

Most of the glazes I’ve had are a bit too sweet, but this one gets just a little bit of smoky heat from the chipotle sauce, while the garlic and whole grain mustard give this glaze lots of flavor.

How do I cook a 10 pound spiral sliced ham?

Spiral hams are fully cooked. They only need to be heated through. Mine was in the oven for 90 minutes, but could have used another 30 minutes to get it piping hot.

For a 9 or 10 pound ham, give it about two hours in the oven to fully heat through.

How to cook a spiral sliced ham without drying it out

Does that glazed ham look dried out? It most certainly doesn’t not.

This is how you do it – first, place your ham face down in the roasting pan and add a little water to the pan.

Then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to heat. The water will create steam, which will help to keep the ham nice and juicy. Heating the ham up without covering it will result in a dried out, tough ham.

How to make glaze for ham

Just look at that ham. This glaze is good to begin with, but once it goes into the oven, you are in for something special.

Sweet, sticky and just a little bit of smoky heat make this chipotle honey mustard combination truly the best ham glaze recipe I’ve ever made.

To make this ham glaze, all you need to do is put everything in a small pot and let it come to a boil, then shut it off. It is the easiest glaze for spiral sliced ham that also tastes amazing.

Mustard and ham are good friends and everyone who’s ever been to a deli counter knows that honey and brown sugar go with ham.

The saltiness of the ham balances the sweetness of the glaze. Once you let the glaze caramelize in the oven for a bit, it takes it to the stratosphere.

The best ham glaze recipe

Look at that thing in all its glory. You can see the bits of garlic and mustard coating the outside of this ham, but make sure you get a little inside the slices too!

After your ham is heated through, remove the foil and crank up your oven. You can see from the photo that my ham was pretty tall, so I had to lower my oven rack. Mine was set in the lower third to give my ham plenty of space.

The ham glaze recipe contains honey and brown sugar, which could burn if too close to the heating element for an extended time. Keep an eye on your ham once you’ve glazed it to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Helpful tools and equipment

• Roasting pan – Look for a pan large enough to hold your ham with a rack that fits inside.
• Basting brush – To brush the glaze on the ham.
• Small, non-stick sauce pot

FAQ’s

If you prefer to take your bronzed beauty to the table and slice it there, you can do that too.

Because the ham is spiral-sliced, the ham pulls away pretty easily, which makes quick work of getting it sliced off of the bone.

Reserve that ham bone for a pot of beans or for my favorite Instant Pot Split Pea Soup with Ham. It’s the perfect use for your ham bone and some of that leftover ham!

Make it a meal

Try a few of these recipes to make it a complete holiday meal:

• Melting Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs
• Sautéed Broccolini
• Hubbard squash bisque
• Roasted Honeynut squash with maple pecans

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

I hope you love this ham glaze recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Yield: 10 pounds

Chipotle Honey Mustard Glazed Ham

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Sweet, salty and just a little spicy, this is the best ham glaze recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 pound spiral ham

For Glaze:

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tbsp. sauce from chipotles in adobo
• 2 tbsp. whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. minced garlic

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°C.
2. Place ham, flat side down, on a rack inside of a roasting pan and add ½ cup water to the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until heated through.

Make Glaze:

1. In a small sauce pot, combine 4 tbsp. butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup honey, 2 tbsp. sauce from chipotles, 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard and 2 tsp garlic. Whisk to combine.
2. Heat until bubbling and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. When ham is heated through, remove it from the oven, take off the foil and raise oven temperature to 400°F.
4. Brush half of the glaze on the ham and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Brush remaining glaze on the ham and bake for another 10 minutes until glaze is caramelized. Let rest for 8 – 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1/2 lb.
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 636Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 252mgSodium: 3782mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 0gSugar: 23gProtein: 84g

Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!