Ham Hints.
The holidays are around the corner, and I figured we could all use the reminders of how to properly warm, glaze, and utilize those left overs.
The best thing about buying a heritage ham, like our Berkshire Hams, for the holidays is that they contain extra marbling and fat so the dry ham is basically a thing of the past! (It can still happen, but it’s a lot harder than one of those normal hams, trust me.)
Berkshire Holiday Hams are the way to go on your table this year, but we may be biased.
Here’s a few of the “hints” I’ve picked up over the last few years.
Use 3/4 pound per person to choose your size of ham (for bone-in, that is). Of course things can get a little skewed if you’re having more than one protein, but this is a pretty common figure that you’ll see while researching. To serve 8 people, an appropriate size of ham would be around 6 pounds, but that doesn’t leave any goodness for leftovers (we’ll get to those later).
Leave plenty of time to thaw that heavenly piece of pork! The USDA recommends 4 - 6 hours of thaw time per pound in a refrigerator. So a 10 pound ham is looking at 40 - 60 hours, which is around two to three days. Anything larger than 12 pounds may take longer per pound to thaw, so keep that in mind! (Super tip: place the ham in a large baking dish to catch any unwanted leaks, and on the bottom shelf so if there is a leak, the chance of cross contamination is lower!)
Make sure to wrap your roasting pan with foil, or use a roasting bag, to make sure to keep all of the juiciness inside of the ham! Although I mentioned earlier that our hams are harder to dry out, this hint really helps to keep the flavors and moisture with the ham.
Since our hams are fully cooked, remember they just need warmed up (essentially)! We recommend about 10-18 minutes per pound at 325 degrees in the oven. Obviously every oven is different, and the size makes difference, too. You’ll want to have your meat thermometer handy, and be ready to eat at 140 degrees! (You can also cook it in your slow cooker really easily. Set in the slow cooker cut side down and cook on low until internal temp reaches 140 degrees.)
Cook the ham cut side down. Feel free to add a little extra wine (a reason to open a bottle at 10 am??) or broth to the roasting pan.
When your ham is nearing done (remember you’re checking the meat temps!), glaze with this favorite of ours from the Kitchn, turn the oven up to 400 degrees for the last 10-15 minutes, and return to the oven uncovered. Feel free to glaze it a time or two in those last few minutes.
Talking about leftovers? Here’s a list compiled by The Farmwife Cooks that has a little bit of something for everyone! (P.S. don’t toss out that bone! Between ham, beans and cornbread, and broth/stock, it shouldn’t go to waste!)
The biggest take away of warming up your ham, or any cut of pork for that matter, is to have your meat thermometer handy! Guys, we can’t stress that enough. It really is the difference between a delicious, juicy ham, and one that is just a little tough to get through.
We hope you all have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!