I love cooking. I've loved cooking since I was a teen. But there are just some things I don't make... and 2015 was the year of the free meat around here. We gave a free turkey from grocery points accumulated to a homeless shelter and then immediately were given a free ham from work. I decided I'd keep that one because I can get a lot of meals from it. Enter problem and the need to beg for advice. I have never cooked a large ham... this one is a little more than 11 pounds. A google search was basically worthless to me because I saw at least 6 different "recipes" and they were all different. I don't have cloves or pineapple, etc. and just want to make it "straight up" to cut up for freezer packs. The closest I can come to the methods/recipes agreeing is to cover it with foil and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 4 hours for that size of ham. I wasn't expecting to have to have anything in the oven for FOUR hours but that *is* one thing most agreed on... 20-22 minutes per pound. Is covering with foil the best way? I sure don't have a large enough roaster.. or nothing that size with a lid, so it thawed in a large casserole dish and that's what I'll have to bake it in. I'll be making this today... ugh! Wish I could invite ya'll over to help us eat this stuff!
You should cook an 11 pound ham at 350 for 3 hours and 30 minutes (or less if your thermometer reads 135). All hams are precooked but you do have to cook it to warm it up. Just watch the thermometer (which says to cook ham to 140 but 135 is what I would go for). That's warm enough and won't dry it out. What kind of ham is it? Spiral hams dry out quickly when cooking so you have to be careful and possibly cook it less and quite possibly cover it or tent it. I never buy spiral hams. I always buy the store's rump which has a small bone. Don't cover it unless, toward the end of cooking time, you see a need to tent it with aluminum foil to prevent the outside from burning. No need for pineapple but it's pretty. No need for a sweet glaze but I did do a glaze for Christmas. I kind of wish I hadn't…good but very sweet. Make cross cuts into the fat on top (surface, not into the meat). Cook it with the fat side up. Sticking cloves in it isn't necessary either. Let it sit on top of the stove for 10 minutes after cooking. Slice 1/4" pieces. Don't try to slice thin spiral ham slices.
The Butcher told me at Chistmastime told me that they're all cooked. I don't know what a picnic ham is. Edit: I just went to the US Department of Agriculture Food & Safety website and now I'm confused...here's what they have to say: "Hams may be fresh, cured, or cured-and-smoked. Ham is the cured leg of pork. Fresh ham is an uncured leg of pork. Fresh ham will bear the term “fresh” as part of the product name and is an indication that the product is not cured. “Turkey” ham is a ready-to-eat product made from cured thigh meat of turkey. The term “turkey ham” is always followed by the statement “cured turkey thigh meat.” The usual color for cured ham is deep rose or pink; fresh ham (which is not cured) has the pale pink or beige color of a fresh pork roast; country hams and prosciutto (which are dry cured) range from pink to a mahogany color. Hams are either ready to eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto and cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams and hams that are only treated to destroy trichinae (which may include heating, freezing, or curing in the plant) must be cooked by the consumer before eating. Hams that must be cooked will bear cooking instructions and safe handling instructions. Hams that are not ready-to-eat, but have the appearance of ready-to-eat products, will bear a prominent statement on the principal display panel (label) indicating the product needs cooking, e.g., “cook thoroughly.” In addition, the label must bear cooking directions."
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lara! 3.5 hours means I would have indeed overcooked it... and I won't put that foil over it.. thank you for these tips. What kind of ham? I don't know... let me go look. It's a "Skinless Shankless Hickory Smoked Ham." Other years they always gave a 5 or 6 pound fully cooked ham and I knew how to make those... this monster one that's not fully cooked (although I think all hams are at least partially cooked) threw me for a loop. I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'll do sweet potatoes with it for tonight and then freeze a tonload of chunks and steaks. Probably make some ham salad first, too. Thank you again, @Lara Moss .
Yeah, that's another thing... there's nothing at all with this one that says how to prepare it. I don't think I've ever had meat that didn't say somewhere on the packaging how to prepare it! As for fully cooked vs pre-cooked, I'm pretty sure I've heard that they're all at least partially cooked (understandable because of the bacteria concerns) but only the fully cooked are literally "ready to eat" whether or not you bake it for the recommended time.
Is yours pre sliced, as in spiral cuts? If so the oven temperature may only be 250 degrees according to 2 recipes I looked at for spiral cut hickory smoked hams. Is there an 800 number you can call the distributor and ask? I'm not familiar with your type of ham so don't go by my previous instructions since I think yours is totally different.
No, it's all one monster 11 pound blob. 250... could that even get something like ham done properly? I'll look for a number but I kind of doubt it since there aren't even cooking instructions.
I suspect that the reason there are no cooking instructions is because you don't have to cook something that is already smoked (isn't that a cooking process in itself?), but rather heat it until warm enough to serve. I agree with you about the 250. I've never cooked meat at 250. But that's what both of those sites said that I went to. I don't know Mari. Everyone is as clear as mud…including me I'm finding lol.
Mari, about the aluminum foil, I think they're asking you to cover it in foil because they're talking about Spiral Cut hams and you need to keep them from drying out due to all of the cuts in the meat. The 250 temperature is also for spiral hams because they're pre-smoked so you're just warming them up. I think your ham is Spiral Cut…look very closely because you can hardly tell.
I am going to just cover it... and I'm going to go 325 because more places say that than 350... I will put about an inch of water in the bottom of the dish I'm using, and put that puppy in the oven for 20 minutes per pound and cross my fingers for the best. You're right... everything *was* clear as mud on the 'Net... but that happens often, I've found, and especially with basic recipes. If there are 10 websites on something that should be in "Cooking 101" there's going to be at least 9 conflicting ways to do it. That would be fine if they'll all be accurate but most of the time, the comment sections say things like "WHAT?! You want to send them to the hospital making it that way? That's dangerous!" My! Actually I may cover it for half and then uncover it... sounds like a good way to wimp out knowing for sure. Maybe. hehe Man I wish I would have just given this to the homeless shelter like I did that turkey!