epicurious4.6
How to Cook a Ham
You can use fresh or smoked ham for this streamlined baked ham recipe, which requires minimal prep time and will teach you how to cook a ham for the holidays.
👤 Joe Sevier📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pan
- ●oven
- ●knife
📝 Preparation Steps
1
For ham labeled “cook before eating”: Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 325°. Place 1 (10–15 lb.) whole ham or 1 (5–7 lb.) half ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 160° (18–⏱️ 20 minutes per pound for a 10–15-lb. ham; ⏱️ 20 minutes per pound for a 5–7-lb. ham; or ⏱️ 35 minutes per pound for a 3–4-lb. shank or butt portion). For ham labeled “fully cooked” or “ready to eat”: Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 325°. Place 1 (10–15 lb.) whole ham or 1 (5–7 lb.) half ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 140° ( 15–⏱️ 18 minutes per pound for a 10–15-lb. ham; 18–⏱️ 24 minutes per pound for a 5–7-lb. ham).
whole ham or 1 (5–7 lb.) half ham1 (10–15 lb.)
2
Remove ham from the oven about ⏱️ 30 minutes before it is done; increase oven heat to 425°. If the rind is still attached, trim it with a sharp knife, leaving just a collar of rind around the shank bone. Avoid removing too much of the fat cap. Slash the fat in the top of the ham in a diamond pattern.
3
Mix 1⅓ cups (packed; 167 g) light brown sugar, 2 tsp. dry mustard, and 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar, dry white wine, prune juice, pineapple juice, fresh-squeezed orange juice, or ham drippings. Cover ham with the brown sugar mixture, then stud the fat at the intersections of the diamonds with whole cloves (if using).
⅓ cups (packed; 167 g) light brown sugar1. dry mustard2 tsp. cider vinegar, dry white wine, prune juice, pineapple juice, fresh-squeezed orange juice, or ham drippings3 TbspWhole cloves, optional
4
Return ham to oven, reduce the oven heat to 325°, and cook for the final ⏱️ 30 minutes or until ham reaches desired temperature. Transfer to a platter. Editor’s note: This baked ham recipe first appeared on Epicurious in August 2010. Head this way for more of our favorite Christmas dinner ideas →
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