Tips on Baking Ham
Often reserved for a holiday dinner, many cooks need to refresh their memories with tips on baking ham simply because they don’t make it often enough. There are a few points to remember that will make any ham an outstanding meal.
The ham portion of the pig is found on the rear leg of the animal. Some of the terms found when purchasing them might be fresh, ready to cook, ready to eat, picnic and country hams. All of these except for the fresh hams are treated by a process called “curing”, which can either be done by injecting the meat with a special salt mixture, soaking the meat in brine or by rubbing the meat with a salt mixture and allowing it to age. It is important when purchasing the ham to determine its type in order to find the proper cooking method.
Preparing a canned ham is generally the easiest of all ham types because it is already fully cooked. The product is made by combining pieces of brine cured ham and compressing them along with a gelatin product, sealed within a can that is then steamed. It can be consumed directly from the container, or it can be heated before it is served.
A fully cooked ham is the next easiest choice to serve. These are usually wrapped in vacuum sealed plastic as a conical shaped meat with one side showing the meat product while the rest has a brown skin covering it. This meat has been fully cooked at the manufacturing plant and then packaged for retail sale. It does not need to be cooked before eating, but can be glazed and reheated for a more flavorful meal. It is important when baking ham of this variety to only reheat to a particular temperature; overcooking will cause the meat to dry out. These types of hams may also be labeled as “ready to eat” since they can be removed from the packaging and sliced for immediate use.
Smoked hams are those which have been cured in any of the curing methods and then further prepared by hanging in a smokehouse where hickory wood chips are kept smoldering, producing a heavily flavored smoke that permeates into the meat. This variety of ham may or may not need to be cooked; carefully read the preparation directions to determine the cooking needs. If cooking is required, baking the smoked ham in a covered roaster pan with liquid until a thermometer registers an internal temperature of 160° is the proper method.
A ready to cook ham is one which has been cured but not cooked in the manufacturing plant. Ready to cook hams will often be pink in collar with a layer of fat on the top portion of the meat. The ham should be placed into a roaster pan with the fat side up; this fat will melt into the leaner part of the meat and provide moisture during baking. Ham tends to dry out easily because of low moisture content, so the oven temperature must be kept low, around 325°. If you wish a crusty “bark” to form on the outer covering of the meat, preheat the oven before baking. Allowing approximately 20 to 30 minutes per pound, roast the ham until an internal temperature of 160° is reached. Before slicing into the ham, let the meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Ham is a delicious meal choice that is available throughout the year, although it is often reserved as a holiday meat. Baking ham is easy when these tips are utilized, resulting in a juicy, flavorful meal that can be enjoyed at any time of the year.