“We have a similar perspective, … We’re total hams.”–Matt Damon
Knowing how to cook a ham can make a you a hero during the holidays. Ham is a traditional dish served many different times of the year. Many people enjoy ham at Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s — just about any time the family gathers together, someone is probably cooking a ham. In America, ham is a great fit at any time of the year, for Sunday dinners, or as a main dish for a potluck dinner.
Wondering how to cook a ham? There is no one surefire method to making perfectly juicy and delicious ham, though the method detailed below will get you well on your way to hog heaven.
First, a note on “ham” — the word ham means pork that comes from the hind leg of a hog. Ham made from the front leg is called “pork shoulder” or “picnic ham”.
When buying a ham, you’ll want to estimate how much you and your guests will need to eat. A single serving of boneless ham is anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound. If your ham has a bone, count 3/4 to 1 pound of ham per serving. Now, multiply your number of guests by their serving size, and you know how much ham to buy.
If you bought your ham frozen, you’ll want to thaw it before cooking. Though you can cook a frozen ham, I don’t believe the texture or flavor turn out right. Defrost your ham in the refrigerator, wrapped and covered on top of a platter to catch the liquid – you need to thaw the ham for 4-5 hours per pound.
Set your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, no matter what kind of ham you have. This is the proper cooking temperature. What does change is the amount of time necessary to cook different hams. Here’s a handy guide.
How to Cook a Ham
Smoked Ham
- 2-4 pounds, cook 35 minutes per pound.
- 5-8 pounds, cook 30 minutes per pound
- 9-14 pounds, cook 18 to 20 minutes per pound
Fresh Ham
- 5-8 pounds, cook 35 minutes per pound
- 9-12 pounds, cook 24-28 minutes per pound
- 12-16 pounds, cook 22-24 minutes per pound
Country Ham
20-25 minutes per pound
A few last tips — no matter what temperature your ham is purchased in, even if its fresh from the market and room temperature already, allow your ham to sit for two hours before cooking.
Before cooking your ham, trim the fat to 1/4 inch all the way around. If you want to be fancy, you can ‘score’ the fat by cutting a diamond pattern in 1-2 inch squares. This looks fancy but also allows the fat to render better, producing an amazing texture.
Do not baste the ham with drippings during the cooking like you would a turkey or a rib roast — the drippings from a ham tend to be incredibly salty.
To cut the ham, you’ll need a very sharp knife with a thin blade.
Don’t coat the ham with a glaze more than one time (a single application is plenty), and never glaze the ham until there’s less than an hour left of cooking time.
Before eating your ham, test the temperature of the meat to make sure that it has reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Ham that is already cooked may be reheated to just 140 degrees Fahrenheit for eating as leftovers.
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