Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Ham
• Part 2 of 3: Roasting the ham
• Part 3 of 3: Serving the Ham

Delicate, juicy ham can become the main dish at any holiday. Its meat is not that difficult to cook, but it can take several hours. Choose between raw or smoked ham, whichever flavor you like best, and set aside an hour or an hour and a half to cook it. Add a sweet or savory frosting layer if desired to accentuate the salty flavor of the meat.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Ham

1. 1 Select the type of ham. You can buy a fresh, raw ham, or a salted or smoked ham. Some types of ham are packed with juice, some are dry. Some types are on the bone, some without, you can also buy a partially cut ham, it will be more convenient to serve it. If you can't decide on the choice, here are the popular types of ham, each with its own taste:
   • Fresh or frozen raw ham. It has not yet been cooked or salted. It has a light meaty flavor of fresh pork, similar to pork chop or roast pork.
   • Salted ham. The ham can be preserved by salting it. A Virginia ham, for example, is salted in a thick layer of coarse salt. Salt enhances the flavor of the meat.
   • Salted and smoked ham. Smoking preserves the ham, giving it a smoky flavor and aroma.
2. 2 Determine the amount you need. Cooking time depends on the amount of meat. Since the ham cooks long enough for you to have a supply, cook a little more meat than one serving. Here is a rough calculation of the amount of meat, depending on its type:
   • Boneless ham should be 115-150 grams per 1 serving.
   • For a ham with small bones, you need 150-220 grams per 1 serving.
   • For a ham with large bones, you need 340-450 grams per 1 serving.
3. 3 Thaw frozen ham slowly. If you bought a frozen ham, it is very important to defrost it properly so that it does not remain frozen inside when you start cooking it. If this happens, the ham will not reach the required core temperature and will be dangerous to eat. Here's how to properly defrost a ham:
   • Refrigeration Method: Place the ham in the refrigerator the day before you cook it. It will thaw slowly while remaining chilled. Allow the ham at least 24 hours to thaw completely.
   • Cold Water Method: If you're short on time, you can dip the ham into a large bowl of cold water. Soak the ham for a few hours to thaw completely. The water must be kept cold at all times so that the outer parts do not heat up while the meat is cold inside.
4. 4 Consider soaking a salted ham. This ham is rubbed with salt for conservation. If you soak it, the salty crust will fall off and the meat will taste softer. Let the ham soak for 4 to 8 hours, depending on how much salt you want to leave on.
5. 5 Leave the ham at room temperature before cooking. Remove the ham from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking.

Part 2 of 3: Roasting the ham

1. 1 Preheat oven to 160 C. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. It doesn't matter if your ham is raw or processed, its core temperature should be 70 ° C. Roasting at 160 C for several hours will ensure that the ham does not dry out on the outside while baking.
   • If the ham was vacuum packed or canned, it means that it is already ready. It can be eaten straight from the packaging or preheated at 60 C.
2. 2 Place the ham on a large baking dish. Use a glass, ceramic, or foil dish large enough to allow room for dripping juice.
3. 3 Make cuts in the ham if you plan to glaze it. Make cuts in the skin and fat, but not in the meat. Make cuts crosswise to create a pattern. The cuts will help the sauce penetrate as deeply as possible and convey the flavor and aroma of the meat right down to the middle.
   • If you have a pre-cut ham, skip this step.
   • Stuff the ham with whole garlic cloves if you like, just press the cloves into the intersection of the cuts.
4. 4 Cook for the required amount of time. The ham will need to be baked so that the temperature inside reaches 74 C. The baking time also depends on the amount and type of meat. Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature to make sure you haven't overcooked the ham. Here are the approximate baking times:
   • Fresh ham: 22-28 minutes for every 450 grams of meat.
   • Smoked ham: 15 - 20 minutes for 450 grams of meat.
   • Processed (rustic) ham: 20 - 25 minutes for every 450 grams of meat.
5. 5 Prepare the icing mixture. You can prepare the frosting while the ham is cooking. Choose any frosting recipe, sweet or spicy. Combine the ingredients in a ladle, boil them slowly, boil the mixture to such a consistency that it is thick but stringy. To make the classic sweet honey frosting mix, use the following ingredients:
   • 2 tablespoons mustard
   • 250 grams of brown sugar
   • 125 ml honey
   • 125 ml apple cider vinegar
   • 125 grams of butter
   • 250 ml water
6. 6 Spread the frosting mixture on the ham when the core temperature reaches 57 C. This should happen half an hour before the end of baking the ham. Check the thermometer reading and carefully remove the ham from the oven.
   • Take a baking brush and spread the mixture on the ham, trying to get as much of the cuts as possible.
   • Place the ham back in the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 74 C.
   • If you want, you can additionally turn on the oven grill for 10 minutes. This creates a crispy crust on the meat.

Part 3 of 3: Serving the Ham

1. 1 Let the ham sit for 15 minutes after cooking. Remove the ham from the oven and set it on the table to stand. Cover it with cling foil to trap moisture inside. The juice leaked from the meat will be absorbed back while the meat settles, and the ham will turn out to be juicy and tasty. If you skip this step, the ham will be dry.
2. 2 Slice the ham. Use a very sharp knife to slice the ham after it has settled. You cannot use a dull knife, it will slide over the meat. Sharpen the knife with a sharpening stone or knife, and then chop the ham as follows:
   • Cut a few pieces of ham at the narrowest part.
   • Place the ham on a flat side to cut off the slices. This will ensure that the ham is in a stable position.
   • Make horizontal cuts across the side of the ham, from the outside to the bone.
   • Cut the slices vertically along the bone so that the slices fall onto the cutting board.
   • Repeat the process on the other side of the ham.
   • Do not throw away the ham bone, it will make a great soup.
3. 3 Save the leftover ham. After lunch is over, collect the leftover ham and save it for later. In the refrigerator, meat can be stored for about a week. You can also freeze the ham pieces in the freezer container to keep the meat for a month. You can use leftover ham for delicious sandwiches or classics like:
   • Ham omelet
   • Casserole with ham and eggs