How to Bake a Ham

Baked ham, considered a staple of special meals at holidays such as Christmas or Easter, is a simple but tasty dish that even the most novice cook can master in short order. How you bake a ham will vary depending on whether it is fresh or preserved and whether or not it has been pre-cooked, but regardless of which type of ham you use, the method will be very straightforward. You can also vary the flavor of your ham by playing around with different glazes, a number of which are described in this article.

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Part One: Preparing the Ham

Choose a type of ham. Most hams that you buy at the grocery store have already been cooked or partially cooked, which means that you'll essentially be reheating the ham rather then cooking it from scratch. It is possible to buy raw ham (also known as fresh ham), but it is not common. Buying a precooked ham will save you a lot of cooking time, and many of them come pre-sliced and with a glaze provided.
- You can buy hams with the bone-in or the bone removed. Bone-in hams are slightly more flavorful and make a dramatic dinner table centerpiece for any special occasions. They can be a little harder to cut than hams with the bone removed, however many brands spiral-cut their bone-in hams in advance, to overcome this problem. Spiral-cut hams are very easy to serve, but may become drier during cooking.
- In terms of weight, you can calculate the number of portions a ham will provide using the following quantities: For a bone-in ham, allow a minimum of 3/4 of a pound of weight per person; for a boneless ham, allow 1/4 pound of weight per person. This is because a bone-in ham provides less meat that a boneless one.^[1]
- Always read the label accompanying the ham. This will help you to determine whether it is fresh or preserved and whether it has or has not been precooked. This information will help you to determine the proper cooking procedures for your ham.

Store and thaw the ham. Ham must be stored properly to prevent the growth of bacteria on the ham. You can keep your ham in refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees F or lower. Boneless ham can be stored in the refrigerator at this temperature for up to a week, while bone-in hams (such as the rump or shank portions) will keep for up to two weeks. If you're using raw ham, it will only last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days after the sell-by date.
- If you are buying your ham well in advance of the date you intend to cook it, your best option would be to freeze it, making sure it is well-wrapped or vacuum packed. Uncooked ham will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer, while cooked ham will keep for two, before the freezing begins to affect the flavor and quality of the meat.^[2]
- Once you decide to thaw your meat, be sure to do so in a safe, correct manner. Ham should never be thawed at room temperature, on your kitchen counter-top, as the outer layers of meat will defrost and become a breeding ground for bacteria, while the center remains frozen.
- To thaw frozen ham correctly, you can either place the ham on a dish in the refrigerator to thaw the ham slowly (4-7 hours depending on the size of the roast) or place the bag in a water-tight bag and submerge it in cold water for a faster defrost (approximately 30 minutes per pound of meat).^[3]

Prepare the ham. Remove and discard any packaging from the ham, then place it - fatty side up - on a chopping board. Score the ham with a sharp knife, making a diamond pattern. The slices should be about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch deep, with each parallel line about 1 1/2 inches apart.^[4]
- You should not cut into the meat itself when scoring, just into the layers of skin and fat. This will allow the flavors from the glazing to seep into the meat, while also producing a decorative effect.
- Traditionally, a clove is inserted into the center of each diamond for flavor and decoration. Just make sure to remove the cloves before eating. If you find the clove flavor too strong, you can use bits of dried fig instead (these will caramelize deliciously onto the ham during baking).
- Some people prefer to trim away the extra layers of fat and skin before cooking the ham, but this is not necessary.

Place the ham in a roasting pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil first, as this will make the clean-up easier, as well as helping to catch any juice from the meat. Place the ham fat side up and leave uncovered. The fat from the top of the meat will melt and run down the sides of the ham, helping to baste it in the process.^[3]
- Some chefs recommend adding half a cup of white wine to the base of the pan before baking, to prevent the ham from sticking. You can also use water or juice if you don't want to use wine.

Part Two: Making the Glaze

Check to see if your ham came with a packet of glaze. If it did, then prepare the glaze following the directions on the package. Set aside for later.

Make a homemade glaze. There are an endless amount of homemade glaze recipes out there - which one you choose depends on your personal preferences - whether you like your ham sweet and succulent or herby and slightly spiced! Some simple, yet delicious suggestions are outlined below.
- Make a mustard and brown sugar glaze: Mix equal amounts of honey mustard and brown sugar. 1/4 cup of each is a good measurement to go by, though this will vary depending on the size of the ham.
- Make an orange and pear juice glaze: Mix 3/4 cup each of pear juice and apple juice for a sweet, fruity glaze.
- Make a brown sugar and maple syrup or honey glaze: Mix equal amounts of brown sugar and honey or maple syrup. Use about a 3/4 cup of each, depending on the size of the ham.
- Make a raspberry preserve glaze: Mix a cup of raspberry preserve with 1/2 a cup of light corn syrup, stirring until well combined. You could also substitute the raspberry for another flavor preserve, depending on your tastes - apricot, cherry and orange marmalade are all good options.
- Make a honey thyme glaze: In a saucepan over a medium heat, combine 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped thyme, 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of honey, a tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Stir constantly until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.^[4]

Glaze the ham. Regardless of which glaze you choose to use, separate a third of it and set the rest aside for now. Use a pastry brush to apply the glaze to the top of the ham, making sure to work the glaze in between the scored lines.
- You will keep the ham moist during cooking by continually brushing the meat with the reserved glaze at 20 minute intervals. In this way, all of the glaze should be used up by the end of the cooking time.
- Be wary with sugar-based glazes as the sugar may start to burn on the surface of the ham before the ham is fully cooked. Keep a close eye on the color - if it starts to turn dark brown or black, make a "tent" from aluminum foil to cover the ham while it finishes cooking.

Part Three: Baking the Ham

Preheat the oven. Set the temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) if using a conventional electric or gas oven. Set to 325ºF (170ºC) if using a convection oven.

Place the ham in the preheated oven for baking. The amount of cooking time will depend on the size off the ham and whether it has been pre-cooked or not. Follow the guidelines below for cooking times:
- Bake a partially- or fully-cooked preserved ham for 10 minutes per pound (0.5 kg) to reheat the ham completely through.
- Bake a preserved ham that has not been precooked at all for 20 minutes per pound (0.5 kg).
- Bake a fresh bone-in ham for 20 to 25 minutes per pound or a fresh boneless ham for 30 to 35 minutes per pound (0.5 kg).

Baste the ham every 20 minutes. To add moisture and flavor to the ham, open the open door and baste the meat with additional glaze, along with any juices that have escaped.

Test the internal temperature of the ham. You can do this by inserting a meat thermometer into the ham which stays there during cooking, or by using an instant read thermometer once the ham is cooked. When the thermometer reads 160ºF Fahrenheit (71ºC), the ham is done.
- When using a thermometer to test the temperature of a bone-in ham, make sure that the thermometer is not touching the bone, as this will affect the reading and give an inaccurate result.
- Note that if a ham has been fully pre-cooked, it is okay to remove the meat from the oven once it reaches a lower temperature of between 110º to 120º F, as you are simply reheating it for eating.^[4]

Baste the meat in its juices, cover and leave to rest. Let the ham rest, covered in aluminum foil, for at least 15 minutes before carving. This will allow the ham to finish cooking, while also letting the meat settle, making it easier to carve.

Carve the ham. Once the ham has finished resting, you can carve the ham using a long sharp knife. If it's a bone-in ham, you should first cut around the bone to loosen the meat, then slice it thinly.
- Alternatively, you can rest the meat on its side and cut a slice off the wide end to make a flat surface. Turn the ham so that it's sitting on this flat end and then cut long, thin slices down the length of the ham.^[5]
- Make sure to save the bone, which you can use to add great flavor to soups.

Serve the ham. Place the ham on a serving plate and bring to the table for your guests to admire. Make sure to keep the leftovers for use in sandwiches, quiches, casseroles or whatever you like!