A perfectly baked ham is much easier to make than you think—now here’s to doing it like a pro! Cooking a ham has several advantages, one of which is already cooked. You are more concerned with whether it is thoroughly cooked to be safe than whether it is thoroughly cooked to eat. Isn’t that easy as pie? It relieves all of the tension. How do you tell whether your ham is one of the 99 percent that has been cooked already?
You’ll be able to tell by looking at the label. So, what’s the deal with all the ham recipes? They’re just ways to spice up or flavor your ham as it cooks. For Easter, Christmas, or any other large gathering, ham is a fantastic entrée. Did you know that I had no idea what I was doing when I first started preparing ham? Isn’t it, though, a welcome relief? After all, heating things aren’t tough!
It’s time to put on some clothes. The ham is glazed in a modern orange marmalade glaze with a hint of fresh thyme. You may use my cooking procedure to make whatever glaze, sauce, basting mixture, or flavouring. Anything with a decent amount of sweetness will aid in the ham’s crisping on the outside. Spiral-slicing has another advantage: the flavouring can sink into more nooks and crevices.
How to Bake a Ham?
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way let’s go over the fundamentals. According to The National Pork Board, “ham” usually refers to cured and often smoked meat from a hind leg.
Ham can be dry-cured or wet-cured, and Wet-curing is the most used method. Dry-cured ham is exceedingly salty and is sometimes known as old-fashioned, country-style, or Southern-style ham. Dry-cured ham is served in tiny servings because of its intense and salty flavor—not ideal for a ham supper.
Ham can be bone-in or boneless, and it can be wet- or dry-cured. A boneless ham is shaped like a football and can easily cut into neat, even slices, and it’s occasionally chopped into a section of a football for your convenience.
On the other hand, Bone-in has more taste and a little more fat, which means it’s juicier. Bone-in is more difficult to carve, which is why I prefer spiral-sliced. It means I’ll receive excellent ham flavor and some slicing assistance.
(Plus, you’ll have a delicious ham bone to use in soup later.) So, if we’re making ham for dinner, we’re usually talking about a completely cooked, wet-cured ham that’s either boneless or bone-in, and if it’s bone-in, a spiral cut ham.
The following recipe can be used with either a boneless or a bone-in ham, and I have more exact boneless ham cooking instructions if you want more information. That ham recipe has a fantastic brown sugar and orange zest coating.
A good estimate for bone-in ham is 12 to 34 pounds per person, or 13 to half a pound for boneless ham. Use the larger amount if you want to ensure you have leftovers, perhaps to use in these delectable Breakfast Sliders the next morning.
You may cook your ham in various ways, including the oven, grill, and slow cooker. I prefer to use a reverse sear technique to make a variation of my How to Roast Pork Perfectly method—warm it low and slow, then finish it with a blast of heat to produce those beautiful, crispy, caramelized edges. (And a spiral-sliced ham has a lot of them.) Yay!)
Ingredients
- One ham (7 to 8 lbs) (see note)
- a third of a cup of orange marmalade
- 12 stick unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 12 tsp cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Wrap foil around a large shallow roasting pan. Place the ham in the pan flat side down and cut any excess fat to a thin layer. Bake for 1 hour, loosely covered with foil.
- Meanwhile, combine the marmalade, butter, thyme, coriander, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the marmalade and butter melt together and the mixture comes to a moderate boil. Remove 1/2 cup of the marmalade mixture from the saucepan and set aside.
- Using the glaze mixture in the pot, baste the ham. Continue to bake until the internal temperature reaches 130°F, 15 to 18 minutes per pound total cooking time, loosely covered with foil and basting with the saucepan mixture or pan juices every 15 or 20 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven, wrap it tightly in foil, and put it aside for 30 minutes (the temperature should reach around 140°F).
- Preheat the oven to 475°F in the meantime.
- Remove any excess liquid from the baking pan and brush the ham with the 1/2 cup of glaze that has been set aside. Roast for 5 to 7 minutes or until the glaze is thoroughly caramelized.
Carve and serve right away.
How Long does it Take to Bake a Ham?
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the ham on a rack in a small roasting pan and bake it uncovered to heat. Allow 15 to 18 minutes per pound for a whole ham and 18 to 24 minutes per pound for a half. When the internal temperature of the ham hits 140°F, it is ready. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the ham from the package and rinse it under cold water. In the roasting pan, place it on the rack. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, covered in foil.
In a roasting pan, place the ham flat-side down on a rack. Pour 1/4 inch of water into the pan’s bottom. Roast until a€ is placed into the thickest portion of the ham registers 130 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2 hours 30 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound). Heat the ham on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until it hits 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a “fully cooked” ham or 145 degrees Fahrenheit for a “cook before eating” ham.
When Baking a Ham, do you Cover it?
Wrap foil around the ham or the pan. Make sure the ham is tightly covered to avoid drying out. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the ham for 15-20 minutes, basting halfway through. When basting the ham, uncover it, but cover it again when putting it back in the oven. Cover loosely with foil and cook ham until the thermometer reads 135°F, as indicated. Remove the ham from the oven about 20 minutes before it’s done. Combine brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard in a mixing bowl. Apply the mixture to the ham by patting or brushing it on.
Cook for another 20 minutes uncovered. Ham is best reheated slowly and gently because cooking it uncovered causes the ham’s moisture to drain, leaving it dry and unappealing. Take the following advice: Place the ham cut side down in a baking pan. To keep the ham warm, wrap it in foil or place it in a baking bag until it’s time to glaze it. Bake the ham for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, uncovered, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140°, basting every 30 minutes with 1/2 cup of the glaze.
Is it Better to Bake a Ham at 325°F or 350°F?
The ideal oven temperature for cooking the ham is 325°F. The USDA has a complete section on how long to cook a cooked ham, and this contains instructions on preparing it fresh and how long to cook it before eating. It is suggested that you cook it at 325°F according to the instructions. The universal baking temperature is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Almost anything, including your ham, can be cooked at this temperature. The most important thing to remember when cooking a succulent ham is to cook it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes for each pound.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a shallow roasting pan, place the ham on a rack. Allow 18 to 20 minutes per pound for a whole 10- to 15-pound ham; around 20 minutes per pound for a half—5 to 7 pounds; or 35 minutes per pound for a shank or butt part weighing 3 to 4 pounds. Place the ham in a roasting pan and season it with the following seasonings: A seasoning of salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs is always a good choice. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes per pound in a 350°F oven, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Throughout the cooking process, baste.
Is it Better to Roast a Ham Fat Side up or Fat Side Down?
Place the ham fat side on a rack in a shallow baking pan after trimming the skin and some of the fat. Half hams should be placed cut side down on the baking sheet. Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with 1/4 inch of water. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the ham from its package and set it in the roasting pan face down. If your package contains any liquids, pour them into the bottom of the pan and about a cup of water to keep the ham wet. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove all package contents and place ham on rack in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up; cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Heat for 15 to 20 minutes per pound until well cooked. The idea is to keep the ham from drying out when reheating it. Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan for the best results. Fill the bottom of the pan with water and cover it securely with foil. Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake for 16-20 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer reads 135°F.To maintain the moisture in the ham, cover it with loosely folded aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes per pound at 275°F, or until a meat thermometer reads 135°F to 140°F.
Is it Better to Glaze the Ham Before or After it’s Been Cooked?
In most circumstances, you should glaze the ham during the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking. If you glaze it too quickly, the sugar in the glaze will burn it. For every 5 to 10 pounds of ham, you’ll need at least 1 cup of glaze. Temperatures between 325 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal. We may just put the glaze on the ham approximately 30 to 60 minutes before the ham is completed cooking because the temperature is so low. Ham Glaze is sweet and spicy, and it’s a must if you want your ham to be sweet, savory, and lustrous. When the holidays roll around, glazed ham is nearly a given in my family, and brown sugar glaze has been my go-to add-on for years.
You’ll have plenty of leftovers if you use a pound of beef per person. Cook the ham gently in the pan with at least 1/2 cup water, wine, or stock, and cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out (until the glaze is applied—then the foil comes off). Combine the brown sugar, flour, mustard, ginger ale, and vinegar in a skillet. Over low heat, bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Heat through the ham slices.
Conclusion
It’s caused by combining the cut (from the back leg) and the cure (or preservation method). When preserved with salt-forward curing, you may expect a moist, supple, and flavorful ham. It also enhances the ham’s sweet, salty, and smoky flavors. Because of its size, it’s ideal for a crowd, and it’s delicious warm, or at room temperature. In addition, most hams come pre-cooked and pre-sliced, making it simple for all guests to enjoy.
We’ll go over everything from how to choose a ham to how to bake or broil one so that your party has a delicious centerpiece. We’ll also show you how to carve a ham and talk to you about preparing a ham glaze. Do you have any concerns about leftovers? Here’s all you need to know about reheating your ham (without drying it out). So, let’s get this party started!