Mariela Nordel's Swedish Christmas Ham

Marinating will take 2 weeks! Ask the butcher to cut you 3 kg of good boneless meat from the shoulder or leg of the pig (tell him it is for ham, so he shapes it into a bundle). If you can find a net like the one in the photo, it is best to put the meat inside it so it takes on the shape of a ham roast. If you cannot, tie it well with strong twine. Mix 4 tablespoons salt with 2 tablespoons sugar and rub the ham all over. Leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Into 5 L of water pour 900 g NON-iodised cooking salt and 2 tablespoons sugar, bring to a boil, and wait until it cools. Submerge the ham in the marinade and leave in the refrigerator for 12-14 days, turning it in the marinade at least once a day. Once marinated, there are two ways to prepare the ham - baked or boiled. First option - boiled: Wash the marinade off the ham and place it in a pot so that it is covered by at least another 3-4 fingers of water. Coarsely chop 2 onions and add them to the pot, add a few bay leaves and a handful of mixed peppercorns, and wait for the water to boil. Lower the temperature so the water is at 90°C - just below boiling. Insert a cooking thermometer into the meat and watch for when the temperature reaches 70°C - then it is ready and you remove it from the pot. While boiling, the ham must always be covered with water; if it evaporates, top it up. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days until serving day, just wrap it tightly in a plastic bag so it does not dry out. Second option - baked: Wash the marinated ham with cold water, wrap it in aluminium foil and place it in a tin, in the lower part of the oven at 175°C without fan or 155°C with fan. Insert a cooking thermometer into the meat and bake until the internal temperature reads 70°C. Let it cool and store in the refrigerator until the day of consumption. Do not forget to wrap it well in aluminium foil so it does not dry out. Before serving, regardless of how you prepared the ham - baked or boiled - take it out of the refrigerator a few hours ahead so the meat comes to room temperature. Prepare a coating (for a 3 kg piece): 1 yolk from an XXL egg or 1 and a half from a small one, 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard, 200 ml breadcrumbs or panko. Mix everything into a paste. Spread the mixture over the top and sides of the ham, then stud whole cloves into the ham every 1 cm. Bake for 10-12 minutes in an oven preheated to 215°C without fan or 195°C with fan - the crust should turn golden. Slice thinly and serve with mustard.