Recipe: Baked Ham

the appetizer:

Perfect for holiday entertaining, this is the classic Baked Ham recipe from the new Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Cookbook

Baked Ham

Allow 1/3 pound per person.

Please read About Ham to determine the type of ham and the number of servings.

I. Ham labeled "Cook Before Eating"

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the ham on a rack, in a shallow roasting pan. For a whole 10- to 15-pound ham, allow 18 to 20 minutes per pound; for a half—5 to 7 pounds—about 20 minutes per pound; or for a shank or butt portion weighing 3 to 4 pounds, about 35 minutes to the pound. In all cases, cook uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Remove the rind and excess fat and serve with:

Raisin Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, page 586 of the book, or English Cumberland Sauce, 565. Or, if you prefer an attractive, quick finish, glaze as directed below. Suggested accompaniments are:

Scalloped Potatoes, or Pureed Chestnuts, 244

II. Ham labeled "Fully Cooked" or "Ready to Eat"

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. To heat the ham, place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and bake uncovered. For a whole ham, allow 15 to 18 minutes to the pound; for a half, 18 to 24 minutes per pound. The ham will be ready when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. To glaze the ham, remove it from the oven about 30 minutes before it is done, and increase the oven heat to 425 degrees F. Remove all the rind but a collar around the shank bone. Slash the fat in the top of the ham in a diamond pattern, and cover the surface with:

1-1/3 cups packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard moistened with:

3 tablespoons cider vinegar, prune juice, wine, or ham drippings

Stud the fat at the intersections of the diamonds with:

Whole cloves

Or decorate with:

Alternating half pineapple rings studded with cranberries and stars cut from preserved orange peel

Return the ham to the oven, reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees F again, and cook about 30 minutes. Place on a platter. Garnish with:

Slices of jellied cranberry sauce topped with thin orange or pineapple slices or with:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes, 301

Buy the Book!

from:
Joy of Cooking
75th Anniversary Edition–2006
by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker
Scribner
Hardcover, 1152 pages, $30.00
ISBN: 0-7432-4626-8
Recipe reprinted by permission.