There was a time when lamb was the meat of choice for Easter, although the abundance of pork and its lower price eventually gave ham the advantage. Centuries ago, ham worked well in spring festivities because the pigs would be butchered in fall and salt-cured and smoked to last through the cold season. Good timing!
How to Choose a Ham
Ham is the back leg of a pig. And that’s the most unequivocal thing one can say about it. Choosing and preparing one, however, presents options.You may find country ham, especially in the South’s rural areas. This intensely flavored ham is made through dry curing with lots of salt and a long period of aging (months or even years). While it bears similarity to prosciutto in that respect, they definitely aren’t the same.
But odds are you will be going to a grocery store where you will find the city ham, which is cured in a saltwater solution (brine) with some preservatives and flavors and often smoked over hickory or maple. They come whole or halved and bone-in or boneless, or even spiral-cut (see below). The top half of the ham is the butt end, a bit fattier and therefore richer and more tender. The leg section, called the shank, is leaner and perhaps more photogenic for the table.
Moisture content varies, and you will see “Water Added” or “Ham with Natural Juices” with a percentage indicated. Yes, the added fluids do take away from the flavor, but drying out a ham that had a lower moisture content doesn’t taste as good either. Remember, a city ham is pre-cooked, so you’re really just reheating it here. A little water content, especially natural juices, won’t ruin the feast and actually may safeguard it.
Bakin’ It
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cover the ham with foil and place it in a roasting pan set at the center of the oven. It should take about 15 to 20 minutes per pound, but better than timing it, test it: Heat the ham to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. In the case of a pre-cooked ham, this isn’t about food safety; that thermometer also prevents overcooking.If you don’t have a meat thermometer, get one. Digital or simple analog thermometers cost $10 to $20, and beyond holiday hams and Thanksgiving turkeys, you still get some use for roasts, chicken breasts, and the like. Some varieties are oven-safe so you can just leave them in the meat.
To Glaze or Not to Glaze
Sweet goes nicely with the saltiness and smokiness of the meat. Plum sauce is popular, made with a cup of plum preserves, some citrus juice, a bit of mustard and honey, and even perhaps some minced ginger or a pinch of red pepper flakes. Another option is plain honey glaze, with brown sugar, orange juice, and a bit of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.While canned pineapple should never be on a pizza (kidding! Or am I?), it works well with ham. The juice makes a base for a glaze along with a bit of mustard and brown sugar. For decoration, you can lay slices on the ham with maraschino cherries in the center holes when the glaze goes on.
Another option (and there are many) is barbecue sauce.
Carving
All you need for carving is a long, thin, sharp knife, a carving fork, and a cutting board that is large enough and doesn’t move around on the table—or countertop. Don’t start right away; give the ham 20 minutes to rest outside the oven and it will be juicier.Put the flat surface down and the bone standing up, then cut straight down alongside the bone to separate a chunk of meat. Now, it’s a matter of just slicing that portion. A quarter-inch thick is good, but it’s up to you.
Lay the bone-in piece on its side so the bone is left to right in front of you. Make your slices vertically down to the bone from one end to the next. Then make a parallel cut along the bone to free the slices.