If you're excited to serve a baked ham for Easter Sunday this year, chances are you're not alone. A holiday ham is an impressive and delicious centerpiece to place on the table that'll make everyone's mouths water. However, an overcooked baked ham is a huge disappointment. Maybe you've snagged a fresh ham from the butcher or grocery store and you're looking for helpful tricks and tips to prevent overcooking from happening.
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No matter what kind of ham you got your hands on, here's a guide on how to cook any type of ham. Check it out below.
City Ham or Precooked Ham
A popular buy at most grocery stores, city ham or precooked hams are wet cured, typically precooked and most of the time presliced. This type of ham is sold bone-in or boneless and is very simple to prepare. Just remove it from the packaging, place in a roasting pan and cook at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes per pound. Or cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Country Ham
A little different from city ham, country ham is dry-cured, rubbed with salt, sugar, and spices and then smoked. It's typically sold bone-in. To cook, boil the country ham in water for about 20 minutes per pound. After boiling, place in a baking pan, cover with ham glaze and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
Fresh Ham
When it comes to preparing a fresh ham, everything is up to you. Fresh, uncooked ham hasn't been cured, brined, glazed or smoked, so it all comes down to your preferred style of preparation.
To cook a bone-in fresh ham, bring ham to room temperature and place it in a roasting pan. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and cook for about 22 minutes per pound. A boneless ham will need about 25 minutes per pound. Make sure to always check the internal temperature of the ham until it registers 145-148 degrees F.
If you need some inspiration for cooking up some of the best ham recipes this year, check out some of our favorites below.
Fresh Ham with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon
If you want a break from sweet, glazed hams, check out this savory ham recipe. With a few seasonings and delicious pan sauce, you won't regret making this fresh ham.
Honey Baked Ham
If you can't get enough of that sugary, crispy topping on a spiral cut ham or city ham, you have to give this recipe a try. Coated with a generous sugar topping made from brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a few other spices, this ham recipe is best cooked low and slow in a slow cooker. You could even save any leftover ham to use in different recipes.
Baked Country Ham
This recipe is a simple way to cook that country ham you've been meaning to make for Easter dinner. With the sweet flavors from the brown sugar and honey and savory taste from the dry Sherry and Dijon mustard, you'll quickly fall in love with this one. Get the recipe here.
Roasted Fresh Ham with Maple Syrup-Spice Glaze
While this ham recipe takes a few hours of cooking time, it's totally worth the wait because the end result is nothing but delicious.
Baked Ham with Crumb Topping
If you're like me and you can't get enough of those crispy breadcrumb bits, check out this recipe. Bone-in ham is used for this for the best flavor and is first covered in a sweet brown sugar and mustard glaze.
Then, the panko breadcrumb mixture is pressed against the sides of the ham and baked until cooked through. Get the recipe here.
