
The cooking time for a ham depends on its weight, whether it's bone-in or boneless, and the temperature of the oven. A general rule is to allow 20 minutes per pound of meat and an extra 20 minutes. For example, a 12-pound ham will take around four hours to cook, while a 14-pound ham will take four hours and 40 minutes. A half ham will typically cook in 1½–2¼ hours, while a whole ham could take anywhere from 2½–4½ hours.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Oven temperature | 160°C-180°C/320°F-350°F/Gas Mark 3-4 |
Cooking time | 20 minutes per 450g/1lb of meat, plus an extra 20 minutes |
Glaze | Brown sugar, honey, mustard, maple syrup, or a combination of these |
What You'll Learn
Cooking times for different types of ham
The cooking time for ham depends on the size of the ham and whether it's bone-in or boneless. A bone-in ham will generally require around 20 minutes per pound, while a boneless ham will require 18-20 minutes per pound. A half ham will typically cook in 1.5-2.25 hours, while a whole ham could take anywhere from 2.5-4.5 hours.
When it comes to different types of ham, there are several factors that can affect cooking times. Here are some common types of ham and their recommended cooking times:
Fully-cooked ham
Also known as city ham, this type of ham is the most popular and readily available. It can be wet-cured or dry-cured and is often smoked. For a precooked ham, reheat for about 18 minutes per pound to reach an internal temperature of 140°F.
Fresh ham
A fresh ham is a piece of raw, uncured pork, sometimes called a "green ham" or "fresh leg of pork". It has not been cured and will taste similar to a pork roast. A 5-pound fresh ham will take about 1 hour and 40 minutes to cook, while a 15-pound fresh ham will take about 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours.
Country ham
Country ham, also known as Virginia, Tennessee, or Kentucky ham, is dry-cured, smoked, and aged for several months to over a year. This type of ham is very salty and requires a long soaking and simmering process before baking.
Honey ham
Honey ham is wet-cured in a brine solution that includes honey, sugar, and spices. It has a sweet and savory flavor and is a versatile ingredient. The cooking time will depend on the size of the ham, but a typical honey-roasted ham recipe recommends allowing 20 minutes of cooking time per pound.
Black Forest ham
Black Forest ham is dry-cured and cold-smoked, originating from the Black Forest region in Germany. It has a smoky, salty, and sweet flavor. The cooking time will depend on the size of the ham, but a typical recipe for a 4-5kg/9-11lb ham recommends baking for 3 hours.
Prosciutto
Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured ham with a rich flavor and tender texture. It is usually salted and air-dried for 9 to 18 months. It is often served as an appetizer or antipasto and paired with cheese, olives, and bread. The cooking time will depend on how it is prepared and the desired level of doneness.
Canadian bacon
Canadian bacon, also known as back bacon, is a cured pork product made from pork loin. It is leaner and has a milder flavor than traditional bacon. The cooking time will depend on the preparation method and desired level of doneness.
Jamon Iberico
Jamon Iberico is a luxurious and highly prized type of ham from Spain and Portugal. It undergoes a meticulous curing process that can take 12 to 48 months. It has a complex flavor and aroma. The cooking time will depend on the specific type of Jamon Iberico and the desired level of doneness.
Gammon
Gammon is a British term for cured pork hind leg meat. It is typically wet-cured in a brine solution and has a slightly sweet and salty flavor. The cooking time will depend on the size of the gammon and the desired level of doneness, but a typical recipe recommends roasting for about 3 hours.
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How to prepare a ham for roasting
Preparing a ham for roasting is a simple process, but it can be intimidating if you've never done it before. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a ham for roasting:
Choosing the Right Ham:
Start by selecting the type of ham you want to roast. You can choose between a smoked ham (often labelled "fully cooked ham") or a fresh ham (labelled "cook before eating"). You can also choose between bone-in or boneless ham, depending on your preference. The bone-in variety is generally more flavourful and economical.
Equipment:
You will need a few essential items to roast your ham successfully. Make sure you have a shallow, heavy-duty roasting pan, a meat thermometer, and a pastry brush to coat the ham with glaze.
Ham Size and Quantity:
The size of the ham you choose will depend on the number of people you plan to serve. A half ham can feed about 12 people, while a whole ham can feed up to 30 people. As a general rule, allow 1/3 pound per person for boneless ham or 1/2 pound per person for bone-in ham.
Preparing the Ham:
Once you've selected and purchased your ham, follow these steps to prepare it for roasting:
- Soaking: If you have a raw ham, place it in a large bucket or container and cover it with water. Soak it overnight or up to 24 hours, changing the water a couple of times. This step helps to remove excess salt and moisture from the ham.
- Scoring: After soaking, use a sharp knife to score the outside of the ham. Create a diamond-shaped pattern or a crosshatch pattern, spacing the cuts about 1-2 cm apart. This will allow the glaze to penetrate the ham and create a beautiful presentation.
- Glazing: Mix your chosen glaze ingredients, such as brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, wine, or fruit juice. Generously apply the glaze to the scored ham, making sure to get it into the cuts. You can also stud the ham with whole cloves for added flavour.
- Roasting Pan: Place the glazed ham in a roasting pan. Add a small amount of water to the bottom of the pan, about 1 inch deep. This helps to create moisture and prevent the ham from drying out.
- Covering: Cover the roasting pan with aluminium foil. This step is crucial, as it helps to retain moisture and ensure even cooking.
Your ham is now ready to be placed in the oven! Follow the recommended cooking times and temperatures based on the size and type of ham you have chosen. Remember to remove the foil near the end of the cooking time to allow the glaze to caramelize and form a sticky crust.
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Glazing a ham
The flavour fundamentals
A good ham glaze comprises four flavour blocks: sweet, spice, acid, and other additions.
For the sweet flavour block, consider using brown, rapadura, or muscovado sugar, maple syrup, apricot jam, marmalade, honey, or peach nectar. For the spice block, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, fennel seeds, allspice, cardamom, peppercorn, or smoked paprika will add an unmistakable Christmas aroma and flavour.
Acid ingredients like apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, pineapple, lime, orange, and apple juice will balance the sweetness of the glaze. Finally, other additions such as citrus peel, beer, soy sauce, mustard, whisky, bay leaves, makrut lime leaves, and thyme can be added to create unique and complex flavours.
Creating a base glaze
A sweet ingredient is the key flavour profile in a glaze, with a little acid often used to balance the sweetness and thin the glaze. When pairing a sweet flavour with an acidic flavour, try to keep the ingredients complementary. For example, use kecap manis with rice vinegar, brown sugar with pineapple juice, or marmalade with orange juice. You'll need about 1.5 cups of base glaze to coat an average-sized ham.
Adding flavour
Certain spices like cloves, cinnamon, and allspice will add a distinct Christmas aroma and flavour to the base glaze. You can use cloves for studding over the scored ham or as a flavour accent in the glaze itself. A layer of savoury flavour can also be added through ingredients such as mustard or soy sauce. Start by adding small amounts to your base glaze, one teaspoon at a time, gradually building up until you achieve the desired depth of flavour.
Most glazes are cooked before use to dissolve solid sugars and meld the flavours. Bring the glaze to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a thin, syrupy consistency. As you build it up on your ham as it cooks, it will create a lovely caramelised finish.
Taste the glaze and adjust the flavours as needed. The sweetness should be balanced by the acid, and as the glaze reduces with each basting, it will become sweeter. If your ingredients are punchy and in liquid form, you may not need to heat the mixture first—simply stir to combine in a bowl.
Glazing techniques
First, remove the skin from your ham and score the fat. This step is decorative but also helps build nice pockets of crusty glaze at the corners of each score mark. Heat the ham at about 200°C and brush at regular intervals for about 30 minutes. The hotter the ham gets, the better the glaze will start to build and caramelise.
Glaze recipes
- Cherry and allspice glaze: Combine pitted cherries, maple syrup, water, sherry vinegar, and a pinch of ground cloves and cardamom. Simmer until the cherries release their juice and the liquid thickens slightly. Baste the ham and cook until glazed.
- Ginger beer and hot English mustard glaze: Combine ginger beer, hot English mustard, brown sugar, crushed green peppercorns, and ground ginger. Reduce the mixture until slightly thickened, then baste the ham and cook until golden.
- Char siu-style glaze: Combine hoisin sauce, honey, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, fermented soy bean paste, and five-spice. Baste the ham as it roasts.
- Spiced apricot glaze: Combine the rind of a preserved lemon, smooth apricot jam, mild-flavoured honey, orange juice, and ras el hanout spice blend. Whisk until smooth, then brush over the ham and baste occasionally as it cooks.
- Brown sugar spice glaze: Mix brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, ground allspice, and ground cardamom and cinnamon. Rub the mixture over the scored ham, then cook and baste occasionally until golden.
- Chipotle, lime, and pineapple glaze: Blend pineapple flesh, lime juice, light palm sugar, jarred chipotle chillies, coriander, and sea salt. Baste the ham as it roasts.
- Spiced marmalade glaze: Process orange juice, marmalade, golden rum, thyme, a shallot, a garlic clove, a bay leaf, and a habanero chilli until smooth. Season to taste, then baste the ham every 20 minutes as it cooks.
Tips for making glazed ham
- You can glaze your ham the day before to get ahead and reduce preparation time on the day of serving.
- It is recommended to use a cooked, ready-to-eat ham for glazing, rather than a raw ham, which requires a different cooking process.
- When scoring the fat, use a small, sharp knife and maintain an even depth. You can score in a crisscross pattern to form diamonds or in parallel lines.
- Studding the ham with cloves is optional but adds a decorative touch and a festive flavour. However, remember to remove the cloves before carving the ham.
- Baste the ham generously and regularly during cooking for a thick, golden glaze.
- After removing the ham from the oven, continue to baste it with the syrupy sauce in the baking pan. As the sauce cools, it will thicken and darken, creating a more intense glaze.
- Use the pan drippings as a sauce to accompany the ham, drizzling it sparingly over the sliced meat.
- Plan for leftovers, as glazed ham is often served in thin slices, and you can store leftovers in the fridge or freezer for future meals.
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Scoring and studding a ham
Now, you can stud the ham with cloves. Place a clove in the centre of each diamond, where the scores intersect. You can also add a glaze, which will seep into the scores and give the ham a delicious flavour. A simple glaze can be made by heating dark corn syrup, butter, and honey. Brush the glaze onto the ham while it is baking, and be generous so that the sauce spills into the scores.
You can also stud and glaze a ham without scoring it first. Studding with cloves is not necessary, but it won't dry the ham out. Glazing is nice for visual purposes and will give the ham a nice shine.
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How to rest a ham after roasting
Roasting a ham is a great way to create a delicious, juicy, and flavorful meal. But once your ham is roasted, it's important to let it rest before carving and serving. Here are some detailed instructions on how to rest a ham after roasting:
- Remove the ham from the oven: Take your roasted ham out of the oven and place it on a heat-resistant surface. Use oven mitts or pot holders to protect your hands from the hot roasting pan.
- Cover the ham: Loosely cover the ham with foil to keep it warm and let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This resting period is crucial as it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a moist and tender ham.
- Check the internal temperature: Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the ham to ensure it has reached the desired internal temperature. For an uncooked or partially cooked ham, the internal temperature should be 160°F. For a fully cooked ham, the temperature should be 140°F.
- Garnish and serve: Once the ham has rested and reached the correct internal temperature, it's ready to be garnished and served. You can stud the ham with cloves or add a glaze for extra flavor and presentation. Then, carve the ham into slices or chunks and transfer them to a serving platter.
- Store leftovers: If you have any leftover ham, let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftover ham can be stored for 3-4 days and used in sandwiches, soups, or other recipes.
Remember, the resting period is essential to ensure your ham is juicy and tender. The larger the ham, the longer it may need to rest to reach the desired internal temperature.
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Frequently asked questions
A 2kg ham should be roasted in the oven for 80 minutes.
A 10-15 lb ham should be roasted in the oven for 3-4 hours.
A 5-7 lb ham should be roasted in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
A 4-5 kg ham should be roasted in the oven for 3 hours and 30 minutes.