Purchasing a fully cooked ham is one of the smartest moves a home cook can make, especially during the hectic holiday season or for a large Sunday family dinner. Because the meat has already been cured and smoked or baked by the processor, your primary job isn’t actually "cooking" in the traditional sense, but rather reheating the ham so it stays juicy, tender, and flavorful. If handled incorrectly, a pre-cooked ham can quickly become dry, salty, and tough. This guide will walk you through the nuances of selecting, preparing, and glazing your ham to ensure it is the star of your table.
Understanding Your Fully Cooked Ham
Before you preheat your oven, it is important to understand what kind of ham you have sitting in your refrigerator. Most hams sold in grocery stores are labeled as "fully cooked," which means they are safe to eat straight out of the package. However, eating cold ham is rarely the goal for a festive centerpiece.
Bone-In vs. Boneless Hams
Bone-in hams are widely considered to have superior flavor and texture. The bone acts as a conductor of heat and helps keep the meat moist, and as a bonus, you get a ham bone to use for soups or beans later. Boneless hams are much easier to slice and are often preferred for sandwiches or casual gatherings. Both can be delicious if reheated with care, but boneless varieties tend to dry out faster, so they require closer monitoring.
Spiral Cut vs. Whole Hams
Spiral-cut hams are pre-sliced in a continuous circle around the bone. They are incredibly convenient for serving but are the most vulnerable to drying out because the heat can penetrate between the slices easily. A whole, uncut ham requires more effort to carve but retains its internal moisture much more effectively during the reheating process.
Essential Preparation Steps
The secret to a great ham starts long before the oven timer goes off. Proper preparation ensures even heating and prevents the exterior from becoming leathery while the center remains cold.
Tempering the Meat
Take the ham out of the refrigerator about 1 to 2 hours before you plan to put it in the oven. Bringing the meat closer to room temperature allows it to heat more evenly. If you put a direct-from-the-fridge ham into a hot oven, the outside will overcook by the time the bone-reach an acceptable temperature.
Trimming and Scoring
If your ham has a thick layer of fat on the outside, you may want to trim it down to about a quarter-inch thickness. Once trimmed, use a sharp knife to score the fat in a diamond pattern. Cut about a half-inch deep. This doesn’t just look beautiful and traditional; it allows the fat to render down and provides channels for your glaze to seep deep into the meat rather than just sliding off the surface.
The Best Way to Reheat a Fully Cooked Ham
The goal for a fully cooked ham is to reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. To do this without stripping the meat of its moisture, you need to use a "low and slow" approach.
Setting the Oven Temperature
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. While it might be tempting to crank the heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to speed things up, high heat is the enemy of a pre-cooked ham. A moderate temperature ensures the heat migrates slowly to the center of the ham without evaporating all the natural juices.
Creating a Moist Environment
Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan. For bone-in hams, place the flat, cut side down. Add about a half-cup to a cup of liquid to the bottom of the pan. You can use water, but for more flavor, consider apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, or even a dry white wine or ginger ale.
The Importance of Foil
Tightly cover the roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. You want to create a sealed environment that traps the steam generated by the liquid in the pan. This steam surrounds the ham and keeps the exterior supple. If you are cooking a spiral-sliced ham, this step is non-negotiable, as the slices will curl and harden without protection.
Calculating Reheating Times
Timing is everything. Because you are essentially just warming the meat through, you don’t need the long hours required for a raw roast.
General Time Estimates
As a rule of thumb, plan for 10 to 15 minutes of oven time per pound of ham. A 10-pound ham will typically take between 2 and 2.5 hours to reach the target temperature. Start checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer about 30 minutes before you expect it to be finished.
Using a Meat Thermometer
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, making sure it does not touch the bone. For a fully cooked ham, you are looking for an internal reading of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If the ham was not "fully cooked" but "cook before eating," you must reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit for safety, but for standard grocery store hams, 140 degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for quality.
Master the Glaze
The glaze is where you can truly customize the flavor profile of your meal. While many hams come with a liquid or powder packet, making your own is simple and significantly tastier.
When to Apply Glaze
Never apply your glaze at the beginning of the cooking process. Most glazes contain high amounts of sugar (honey, maple syrup, brown sugar), which will burn and turn bitter if left in the oven for two hours. Instead, wait until the ham is about 20 to 30 minutes away from being done.
Glazing Technique
Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully remove the foil. Brush a generous layer of glaze over the entire surface, making sure it gets into the scored diamond cuts. Return the ham to the oven, uncovered. You may want to brush on more glaze every 10 minutes until a dark, sticky, and caramelized crust has formed.
Popular Glaze Ingredients
A classic glaze usually balances sweetness with acidity or heat. Consider a mixture of brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. For a tropical twist, use pineapple juice and cloves. For a deep, sophisticated flavor, try a maple syrup and bourbon glaze with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Resting and Serving
Once the ham has reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit and the glaze is perfectly browned, remove it from the oven.
The Rest Period
One of the most common mistakes is slicing the ham immediately. Let the ham rest on a cutting board or platter for at least 15 to 20 minutes. During this time, the juices redistribute throughout the meat. If you cut it too soon, those juices will run out onto the board, leaving you with dry slices.
Carving Tips
For a bone-in ham, cut along the bone to release the large muscles, then slice those pieces across the grain. For a spiral-sliced ham, simply cut along the natural fat lines and around the bone to release the pre-cut slices. Serve warm, or at room temperature, as the high fat content in ham makes it delicious even if it isn’t piping hot.
Creative Ways to Use Leftovers
One of the best parts of cooking a large ham is the abundance of leftovers. Ham is incredibly versatile and stores well in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for two months.
Breakfast and Brunch
Diced ham is a classic addition to omelets, frittatas, and quiches. You can also make a "croque monsieur" sandwich with ham, gruyère cheese, and béchamel sauce for a decadent morning meal.
Soups and Stews
Don’t throw away that bone! Simmer it in a pot with water, onions, celery, and carrots to create a rich stock. This is the perfect base for split pea soup, navy bean soup, or a hearty corn chowder. The small bits of meat clinging to the bone will shred off and add wonderful texture to the broth.
Quick Weeknight Dinners
Ham can be added to pasta carbonara, fried rice, or even used as a topping for homemade pizza. Because it is already cooked, it only needs to be heated through, making it a perfect protein for fast meals on busy nights.
FAQs
- Is it safe to eat fully cooked ham without reheating it?
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Yes, a ham labeled as "fully cooked" has been processed to a point where it is safe to consume cold. You can slice it straight from the refrigerator for sandwiches or salads. Reheating is done primarily for flavor, texture, and the traditional experience of a warm meal.
- Why did my ham turn out dry?
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The most common reasons for dry ham are cooking it at too high a temperature, failing to cover it with foil, or leaving it in the oven for too long. To avoid this, always use a roasting pan with a little liquid, keep it tightly sealed with foil until the very end, and use a meat thermometer to ensure you don’t exceed an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Can I cook a fully cooked ham in a slow cooker?
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Absolutely. A slow cooker is an excellent way to keep a ham moist. Place the ham in the crockpot, add a small amount of liquid, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. This is especially useful if your oven is occupied by side dishes. Just ensure the ham fits comfortably and the lid can close completely.
- How much ham should I buy per person?
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For a bone-in ham, plan on about 3/4 to 1 pound of meat per person. This accounts for the weight of the bone and ensures everyone has enough, with a little left over. For a boneless ham, you can plan on about 1/2 pound per person.
- How do I store leftover ham?
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Leftover ham should be cooled and then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or placed in an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If you want to keep it longer, wrap it in freezer paper and then a freezer bag; it will maintain good quality for about 1 to 2 months.