ALL You Need to Know to Avoid Over-Cooked (a “Little Dry”) Ham!
Like so many, we had ham for Easter dinner. During the meal, one dinner attendee (the name of this child will not be revealed, but he knows who he is!) off-handedly mentioned it was a “little dry.” Honestly, I’d been thinking the same thing.
Even though Easter dinner is now just a memory, and since it’s such a good main dish (no matter what the occasion), how about we look at what to do so none of us ever have to suffer from an over-cooked, “little dry,” ham?
In cooking circles, ham is known as a very forgiving protein (which is why, unlike a turkey breast, it will still be fine even if it’s a “little dry”). Nonetheless, it does have its ideal times and temperatures for cooking so it comes out moist and juicy every time.
The ideal time for cooking depends on what type of ham you have. For instance, a pre-cooked ham needs less time than an uncooked ham.
Pre-cooked hams are the most common type of ham you'll find at a supermarket. Besides being easy and convenient, they’re an excellent candidate for glazing. And to make things even easier, opt for a spiral-cut ham so you won't need to bother with carving before the meal.
The experts at the USDA say we should plan on baking a pre-cooked ham at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit, covered with foil, until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. A pre-cooked 10-pound ham, bone-in will need about 2 1/2 hours. Here’s the no-fail chart most chefs use on how to handle pre-cooked, bone-in hams:
| PRE-COOKED | WEIGHT | TIME | OVEN TEMP | INTERNAL TEMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole, Bone In | 10-14 lbs | 15-18 min/lb | 325°F | 140°F |
| Half, bone in | 5-7 lbs | 18-24 min/lb | 325°F | 140°F |
| Spiral cut, whole or half | 7-9 lbs | 10-18 min/lb | 325°F | 140°F |
How do you know if a ham is uncooked? Check the label on the ham at the grocery store and it will usually read "cook before eating." Often smoked, these hams need a little extra time in the oven to reach a safe temperature for eating.
For uncooked ham, you want an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit. The pros say to cook it covered, until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees. An uncooked 10-pound ham, bone-in, for instance, will need about 3 hours. And again, here’s the no-fail chart most chefs use on how to handle uncooked ham (boneless and bone-in):
| UNCOOKED | WEIGHT | TIME | OVEN TEMP | INTERNAL TEMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole, bone in | 10-14 lbs | 18-20 min/lb | 325°F | 145°F |
| Half, bone in | 5-7 lbs | 22-25 min/lb | 325°F | 145°F |
| Arm Picnic Shoulder, boneless | 5-8 lbs | 30-35 min/lb | 325°F | 145°F |
| Shoulder roll (butt), boneless | 2-4 lbs | 35-40 min/lb | 325°F | 145°F |
In the event you too, have ended up with a ham that’s a “little dry,” here’s what professional chefs recommend as a way to rescue it. They say you can add a little bit of water or broth to a pan and simmer the sliced meat for a few minutes. The goal is to allow the liquid to penetrate the meat without allowing it to overcook even more. This should take a couple of minutes. If you add a couple tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice, this also helps revive the meat.
I’ll close this hopefully helpful ham-cooking tutorial with a recipe I found in a Martha Stewart magazine back in 2016. We’ve used it ever since (EXCEPT this past Easter when I decided to do my own thing! Never again; I’m sticking with Martha).
Bone-In Ham with Honey-Mustard Glaze
Ingredients:
1 whole bone-in ham (about 18 pounds)
1/2 cup raw honey
1/3 cup Dijon style mustard plus more for serving
1/3 cup packed, light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in lower third. Line a roasting pan with a rack. Wrap ham in parchment-lined foil. Transfer to pan, with thicker rind side facing up. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together honey, Dijon, brown sugar, and cloves.
Unwrap ham. When cool enough to handle, use a thin-bladed knife to peel rind from ham and trim fat all over to 1/2 inch. Score skin and fat with tip of knife in opposite directions, to create a 3/4-inch-wide diamond pattern.
Return ham to oven and bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Baste with some of honey-mustard mixture and continue to bake, basting every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh near (but not touching) bone registers 145 degrees, about 2 hours more. (If necessary, add water to pan, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent scorching, and tent with foilif ham begins to blacken.)
Let ham stand at least 20 minutes before carving, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature. Thinly slice against the bone; serve.
Unwrap ham. When cool enough to handle, use a thin-bladed knife to peel rind from ham and trim fat all over to 1/2 inch. Score skin and fat with tip of knife in opposite directions, to create a 3/4-inch-wide diamond pattern.
Return ham to oven and bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Baste with some of honey-mustard mixture and continue to bake, basting every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh near (but not touching) bone registers 145 degrees, about 2 hours more. (If necessary, add water to pan, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent scorching, and tent with foilif ham begins to blacken.)
Let ham stand at least 20 minutes before carving, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature. Thinly slice against the bone; serve.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
Sources:
- www.bettycrocker.com
- www.favoritefamilyrecipes.com
- www.marthastewart.com
