Baked Ham has always been known as the holiday treat, Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the few times we get to enjoy Ham whether it be Honey Baked, Baked, Smoked, Country, or Spiral-Cut. With the different types of comes the variety of cooking methods. Before you begin cooking you want to concentrate on what type of ham you will be cooking. To determine what you will be cooking you have think of the occasion. Baked is more of a family dinner then a special occasion because it is has a faster cook time and has less preparation then any of the other options. We will be focusing on how to cook baked Ham for starters and work out way to more sophisticated dinning.
Start by taking your ham from the freezer and defrosting. There are several different methods to defrosting; the first method is to place the ham in the refrigerator for several hours. A small roast only needs 4 to 5 hours per pound, but a larger roast needs anywhere from 5 to 7 hours per pound. Using the refrigerator is the slowest yet safest method and is highly recommended because it reduces the amount of moisture within the ham.
The second method is to defrost in cold water. The cold water method cuts the defrost time in half and can be safe if the right preparations are taken. Start by filling the sink with cold tap water, enough to cover the piece of meat. Taking a non-leak bag seal the ham inside and place it into the cold water. Take caution that the meat is tightly sealed, if water gets inside the bag it could result in the loss of color, flavor and the growth of bacteria. Every 30 minutes the water must be replaced inside the sink to keep the cool temperature. Never use hot or warm water for it will start the form of bacteria in the meat. For a small roast only defrost for 30 minutes. A larger ham will need 30 minutes per pound to properly defrost.
After the defrosting method has been completed it is time to begin cooking. Take a medium sized roasting pan and line the bottom with aluminum foil to make clean up easier. When cooking a ham you want to preserve the juiciness within the meat, in order to do so you will need to heat the oven to approximately 325 degrees and allow it to cook slowly. 20 to 30 minutes per pound is the perfect cooking time for a baked ham, but if the ham is precooked it is best to follow the directions printed on the label.
Start by cooking the ham with the fat side facing upwards, this will allow the fat to baste the ham. Half way through cooking flip the roast to avoid uneven salting within the meat. When flipping the roast make sure not to use sharp utensils that may break the skin causing all the juices to run out, let the valuable juices build inside. To achieve a crisp juicy ham make sure to preheat the oven before cooking with an uncovered pan. To eliminated the threat of trichinosis make sure the inside temperature is 137 degrees. The USDA recommends that ham should have the internal temperature of 160 just to be safe. After roasting is complete allow ham to site for 15 minutes before carving.
