The Easter holiday is right around the corner, and people traditionally cook a big, bone-in ham for their family gatherings. And for good reason – ham is a delicious, easy to prepare main course.
Where does a ham come from?
The ham comes from the hind leg of a hog, and this term is actually very broad. The ham of the hog starts at the rump and ends at the shank (ankle). In our shop, “ham” or “smoked ham” refers to a cured and smoked ham. If you have a custom hog processed, a “fresh ham” would be a raw (uncured, not smoked) ham cut.
Is my ham fully cooked?
In our retail store, yes! The hams we carry are double smoked, fully cooked hams. This means that the ham was fully cooked in the smoking process, so it only needs to be reheated to a temperature around 120-140*.
How much ham do I need?
Our recommendation is to plan for a ½ to ¾ of a pound per guest. And you know what always helps the week after a holiday? Leftovers! Plan for a little extra to make sandwiches and easy breakfasts in the coming days. This infographic will help you determine how much you need:
How should I cook my ham?
We recommend 12-15 minutes per pound at an oven temperature of 350*, until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140*. Apply the glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking. If oven space is limited, break out your slow cooker. This is a perfectly acceptable option.
Do you cook a ham covered or uncovered?
Covered! Because hams are cooked over a long period of time, moisture evaporates if they are left uncovered.
Why just bone-in hams? What about spiral sliced?
The bone provides a tremendous amount of flavor. While it can be a little more work to carve around the bone, it is definitely worth it. Then, use that hambone for soup! We don’t carry spiral sliced hams because they tend to dry out during cooking. While convenient, the taste from an unsliced ham is second to none.
Do I need to glaze?
A sticky, sweet or spicy glaze is an awesome accessory to a salty, bone-in ham. And glazes don’t need to be very involved to pack a big punch. A simple, 3-ingredient glaze made up of sweeteners and spices will do the trick. Some great options can be found here.