Ham 101 - All About Cooking A Ham
How to prepare ham, cook or reheat ham, time tables for cooking ham

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Glossary Of Ham Terms
BUTT END, HALF OR PORTION - The upper, meatier part of the whole leg; a butt portion has had some center slices removed for separate sale as ham steaks or center cut ham slices. The half includes this meat.

CANNED HAM - Canned hams come in two forms:

Shelf stable - Store on shelf up to 2 years at room temperature. Generally not over 3 pounds in size.

Refrigerated - May be stored in refrigerator up to 6 to 9 months. Its weight can be up to 8% more than original uncured weight due to uptake of water during curing. It need not be labeled "Added water" except for "In Natural Juices." Net Weight is the weight of the actual ham excluding the container.

CAPACOLLA - Boneless pork shoulder butts which are dry cured; not necessarily cooked.

HAM CAPACOLLA - Is made with ham instead of pork shoulder butts.

COOK BEFORE EATING - Needs further cooking. Is not completely cooked in the plant and should be cooked to 160°F.

COTTAGE HAM - A ham made from the shoulder butt end.

COUNTRY HAM - Uncooked, cured, dried, smoked-or-unsmoked meat products made from a single piece of meat from the hind leg of a hog or from a single piece of meat from a pork shoulder. Smithfield and country hams are not fully cooked but are dry cured to be safe stored at room temperature. They should be cooked before eating according to manufacturer's instructions. A ham labeled "Smithfield Ham" must be processed in the city of Smithfield, Virginia.

FRESH HAM - The uncured leg of pork. Since the meat is not cured or smoked, it has the flavor of a fresh pork loin roast or pork chops. Its raw color is pinkish red and after cooking, greyish white.

FULLY COOKED - Needs no further cooking. Fully cooked in plant. Can be eaten directly as it comes from its packaging or reheated.

GELATIN - About one-fourth ounce of dry gelatin is often added before a canned ham is sealed to cushion the ham during shipment. During processing, natural juices cook out of the ham and combine with the gelatin. When the ham cools, a jell forms. Gelatin is included in the net weight statement on the label.

HAM - The product is at least 20.5% protein in lean portion and contains no added water.

HAM with NATURAL JUICES - The product is at least 18.5% protein. Can weigh 8% more than uncured weight. Example: canned hams.

HAM - WATER ADDED - The product is at least 17.0% protein with 10% added solution; it can weigh 8% more after curing than uncured.

HAM AND WATER PRODUCTS - Product may contain any amount of water but label must indicate percent of "added ingredients." For example, "X % of weight is added ingredients" for any canned ham with less than 17.0% protein.

HAM STEAK - Another name for center cut ham slices.

HICKORY-SMOKED HAM - A cured ham which has been smoked by hanging over burning hickory wood chips in a smokehouse. May not be labeled "hickory smoked" unless hickory wood has been used.

HONEY-CURED - May be shown on the labeling of a cured product if honey is the only sweetening ingredient or is at least half the sweetening ingredients used, and if the honey is used in an amount sufficient to flavor and/or affect the appearance of the finished product.

"LEAN" HAM - The term "lean" may be used on a ham's label provided the product contains less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per 100 grams and Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC).

"EXTRA LEAN" HAM - A ham labeled "extra lean" must contain less than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat and the same cholesterol as allowed per the amount of "lean" ham.

PICNIC, PORK SHOULDER PICNIC - A front shoulder cut of pork which has been cured in the same manner as ham.

PROSCIUTTO HAM - An Italian-style dry cured raw ham; not smoked; often coated with pepper. Proscuitti can be eaten raw because of the way they are processed. PARMA HAM is prosciutto from the Parma locale in Italy. These hams tend to be larger than the U.S. produced product, as Italian hogs are larger at slaughter.

SECTIONED AND FORMED or CHUNKED AND FORMED - A boneless ham that is made from different cuts, tumbled or massaged and reassembled into a casing or mold and fully cooked. During this process it is usually thoroughly defatted.

SHANK END, HALF OR PORTION - The lower, slightly pointed part of the leg. A "portion" has the center slices removed for separate sale as "ham steaks" or center cut ham slices. The half includes this meat.

SKINLESS, SHANKLESS - A ham with all of the skin and the shank removed. The leg bone and aitch (hip) bone remain.

SUGAR CURED - A term that may appear on ham labels if cane or beet sugar is at least half the sweetening ingredients used and if the sugar is used in an amount sufficient to flavor and/or affect the appearance of the finished product. Most hams contain sugar in the curing mixture.

WESTPHALIAN HAM - A German-style dry cured ham that is similar to Prosciutto; smoked, sometimes with juniper berries. Also called Westfalischer Schinken.
 

Question:

I am using the chart for ham cooking times. I'm working with two (2) shank portions (I couldn't find a whole ham). When using the chart, do I use the combined weight (cooking together) or do I time by each individual weight?

1 shank portion = 9.5 lbs
1 shank portion = 7.5 lbs

Please help - Ellen (11/22/07)


Answer:

Use the individual weights of each ham shank and check each ham shank with your cooking thermometer for doneness.


Ham 101 - All About Cooking A Ham

The following information is from The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). FSIS is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.
 

Definition - The word HAM means pork which comes from the hind leg of a hog. Ham made from the front leg of a hog will be labeled "pork shoulder picnic." "Turkey" Ham must be made from the thigh meat of turkey.

Hams may be fresh, cured, or cured-and-smoked. The usual color for cured ham is deep rose or pink; fresh ham (which is not cured) has the pale pink or beige color of a fresh pork roast; country hams and prosciutto (which are dry cured) range from pink to mahogany color.

Hams are either ready-to-eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto and fully cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams and hams that are only trichina treated must be cooked by the consumer before eating; these hams will bear the safe handling label.


Quantity to Buy:

When buying a ham, estimate the size needed according to the number of servings the type of ham should yield:

1/4 to 1/3 pound per serving of boneless ham

1/3 to 1/2 pound of meat per serving of ham with little bone

3/4 to 1 pound of meat per serving of ham with large bone.
 


How to Prepare and Bake a Ham
 Following information is from Hormel Foods

Raw pork must be stored in the refrigerator at 40°F or lower and used within 3 to 5 days of the "sell by" date on the package or it should be frozen.


Ham can be cooked without thawing first. You will need to increase the cooking time when starting with frozen meat. Larger cuts, such as roasts, will require up to 1 ½ times the cooking time of an unfrozen cut.
 

Thawing - Two methods that can be used to safely thaw pork are the refrigerator method and the cold water method. Never thaw pork on the kitchen counter. The outside of the meat will reach a temperature above 40°F while the inside is still frozen. The area that reaches a temperature above 40°F would be susceptible to bacterial growth. Use one of the thawing methods described below.

Refrigerator Method - Thawing pork in the refrigerator is the slowest but safest method and will result in the least amount of moisture loss in comparison to the other methods. The temperature of the refrigerator should be maintained at 35°F to 40°F to discourage growth of harmful organisms as the meat thaws. Leave the meat wrapped and placed on a platter or a tray to catch the drippings as it thaws or unwrap and loosely cover with plastic or foil.

Approximate Refrigerator Thawing Time

Small Ham

4 to 5 hours per pound

Large Roast

5 to 7 hours per pound

After thawing in the refrigerator the pork can be refrigerated safely for 3 to 5 days. If you decide not to cook the meat within this time, the meat can be refrozen. Remember however, that each time the meat is frozen it loses some of its flavor quality. Do not refreeze meat that has been thawed using the cold water or microwave methods.

Cold Water Method - Thawing pork in cold water is a faster method than thawing in the refrigerator and it is safe as long as the proper precautions are taken. Fill the sink with enough cold tap water to cover the cut of meat, place the pork in a leak proof bag and put it into the cold water. Be sure that the meat is sealed tightly so that it is not exposed to the water. Meat exposed to the water will result in flavor and color loss, and will have a greater chance of bacterial growth. The water must be replaced with fresh cold water every 30 minutes. Do not use warm or hot water because it will encourage the growth of bacteria.

Approximate Cold Water Thawing Time

Small Ham

2 to 3 hours

Large Roast

30 minutes per pound

Do not use the sink for other purposes during the thawing period and be sure the water does not splash onto other preparation surfaces or food. Once the meat is thawed, remove it from the sink and sanitize all utensils and surfaces affected during the thawing period. The pork should be cooked immediately after thawing and should not be stored for any period of time. Do not refreeze the meat that has been thawed using this method, unless it has been cooked first.

 

Cooking or Reheating Hams

Linda's Favorite Ham Recipes:

Baked Honey-Glazed Ham

Balsamic & Dijon Glazed Ham with Roasted Pearl Onions

Honey-Glazed Ham Dinner Menu (Easter Dinner) - includes Recipes


 Both vacuum-packaged fully cooked and canned hams can be eaten cold just as they come from their packaging. However, if you want to reheat these fully cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325°F and heat to an internal temperature of 140°F as measured with a meat thermometer.

For fully cooked ham that has been repackaged in any other location outside the plant or for leftover fully cooked ham, heat to 165°F.

Cook-before-eating hams must reach 160°F to be safely cooked before serving. Cook in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Hams can also be safely cooked in a microwave oven, other countertop appliances and on the stove top. Consult a cookbook for specific methods and timing.

Country hams can be soaked 4 to 12 hours or longer in the refrigerator to reduce the salt content before cooking. Then they can be cooked by boiling or baking. Follow the manufacturer's cooking instructions.
 

Timetable For Cooking Ham

 NOTE: Set oven temperature to 325°F. Both cook-before-eating cured and fresh hams should be cooked to 160°F. Reheat fully cooked ham to 140°F.

Use a Cooking or Meat Thermometer for the perfect ham for your Christmas dinner. You definitely need a Cooking or Meat Thermometer! Never guess if your meat is done again!

Cut

Weight/lbs

Minutes/lb

SMOKED HAM, cook-before-eating

Whole, bone in

10 to 14

18 to 20

Half, bone in

5 to 7

22 to 25

Shank or Butt Portion, bone in

3 to 4

35 to 40

Arm Picnic Shoulder, boneless

5 to 8

30 to 35

Shoulder Roll (Butt), boneless

2 to 4

35 to 40

SMOKED HAM, fully cooked

Whole, bone in

10 to 14

15 to 18

Half, bone in

5 to 7

18 to 24

Arm Picnic Shoulder, boneless

5 to 8

25 to 30

Canned ham, boneless

3 to 10

15 to 20

Vacuum packed, boneless

6 to 12

10 to 15

Spiral cut, whole or half

7 to 9

4 to 18

FRESH HAM, uncooked

Whole leg, bone in

12 to 16

22 to 26

Whole leg, boneless

10 to 14

24 to 28

Half, bone in

5 to 8

35 to 40

COUNTRY HAM

Whole or Half (Soak 4 to 12 hrs in refrigerator; then boil, covered with water. Drain, glaze and brown at 400°F 15 minutes.)

10 to 16, whole;
5 to 8, half

20 to 25

Ham Do's And Don'ts

  • Do allow the ham to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before cooking.
     

  • Do trim the fat, leaving a 1/4" layer. Score the fat into a diamond pattern by cutting 1/4" to 1/2" deep into 1" to 2" squares. Not only does scoring look nice, but it allows fat to render from the ham and provides greater surface area for the glaze to stick to. You may not be able to score a ham that has been "super trimmed" and has little fat left.
     

  • Do use a sharp carving knife with a thin blade to cut the ham, or buy a spiral-sliced ham.
     

  • Don't forget to line your WSM water pan with aluminum foil if cooking a ham at high temperature and with an empty water. Cleanup will be much easier.
     

  • Don't baste the ham with its drippings during cooking, as they tend to be too salty.
     

  • Don't coat the ham with sugar, honey or glaze until the last hour of cooking. One application is usually enough.
     

  • Don't throw out the ham bone, use it to flavor soups or bean dishes.

Nutrition

Ham is one of the leanest cuts of pork. According to the USDA, a 3.4 ounce (100 gram) serving of roasted extra-lean ham has about 145 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein and 53 milligrams of cholesterol. Ham contains a significant amount of vitamins B-1 and B-12.

While fresh pork is low in sodium, ham is high in sodium as a result of the curing process. According to the USDA, a serving of ham can contain about one-half of the recommended daily intake of sodium.

Foodborne Organisms
 These organisms are associated with ham:

  • Trichinella spiralis (trichina) - worms sometimes present in hogs. All hams are specifically processed to USDA guidelines to kill trichinae.
     

  • Staphylococcus aureus (staph) - is destroyed by cooking and processing but can be re-introduced via mishandling; the bacteria can then produce a toxin which is not destroyed by further cooking. Dry curing may or may not destroy S. aureus, but the high salt content on the exterior inhibits these bacteria. When the ham is sliced, the moister interior will permit staphylococcal multiplication; thus sliced dry-cured hams must be refrigerated.
     

  • Mold - can often be found on country cured ham. We believe most of these are harmless but some molds can produce mycotoxins. Molds grow on hams during the long curing and drying process because the high salt and low temperatures do not inhibit these robust organisms. DO NOT DISCARD the ham. Wash it with hot water and scrub off the mold with a stiff vegetable brush.