21 Tasty Ham Recipes for Weeknight Meals and Fancy Dinners Alike (2024)

FAQs

What is a good ham dinner menu? ›

You need rind because the fat under the skin is what becomes sticky and golden once basted with ham glaze. If ham has no rind, it won't have the fat layer so you can't get a sticky glaze; Get smoked ham – it has better flavour than unsmoked ham.

What kind of ham is best for Easter dinner? Look for a fully-cooked, bone-in ham that isn't spiral cut—it stays juicier in the oven! Shank-end hams are the big, beautiful ones you're used to seeing for the holidays and those work great here.

Shank: This portion comes from the lower half of the leg and is the most common cut used for baked ham. Butt: Also known as ham sirloin, this section comes from the upper region of the leg and is the most tender and flavorful cut of ham.

Jamon Iberico, also known as Iberian ham, is a highly prized and luxurious type of ham originating from Spain and Portugal. This premium ham is renowned for its exceptional flavor, texture, and unique curing process.

Basting – As the brown sugar ham glaze cools, it thickens so it sticks better to the ham as you baste during the cook time. 7. Internal temp – Ham is already cooked and ready for eating, so glazed hams are really about extra flavour + glazing.

Place ham, flat side down, on rack in shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake approximately 13 to 18 minutes per pound until heated through. Remove ham from oven. Glaze as directed below or let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.

Whether you are cooking a bone in or boneless ham, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Start by removing the packaging from the ham (and bone guard if you're cooking a bone in ham), and you can rinse the ham before cooking if desired.

Buy bone-in ham. Yes, the bone is a little more work to cut around, but the meat is more flavorful and the hambone can be used to flavor soups and stews. Check the label. City hams can be artificially plumped up with water or solutions, but this dilutes the flavor, so look for one with no added water or juices.

While Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is the most expensive ham in the world, there are other varieties of Spanish ham that are also highly prized and luxurious. Jamón Ibérico de Recebo is another type of Iberian ham that is slightly less expensive than Jamón Ibérico de Bellota but still considered a delicacy.

How many pounds of ham per person? ›

The best rule of thumb for ham is to plan about 1/2 pound per person when picking a bone-in ham (it's heavier) and 1/3 pound if boneless. Look, at the end of the day, some people will eat more than expected, some will eat less—it'll even out.

While baking a show-stopping ham is simple and easy, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to bring the ham to room temperature for an hour (for even heat distribution) as well as up to 2 1/2 hours to bake it long, low and slow, depending on your ham's size.

Place ham in an aluminum foil pan or cast-iron pan and wrap with foil. Place on grill grates and cook for 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Remove foil for the last half hour of cooking and baste with a glaze, if using. Cook until the internal temperature of the ham is 140 F.

Whole hams have the advantage of being less prone to drying out when cooking, but to be honest, if you're careful about the way you cook it, a spiral-sliced ham will be just fine. I usually opt for spiral-cut hams.

The “best” side dish is simply the one you like best. In my case, I have a few side dishes I enjoy with ham: If it's a glazed, spiral ham in the enter of a holiday table, I favor mashed potatoes (or even better, mashed sweet potatoes), peas and carrots, tossed salad and biscuits with honey butter.

A fully cooked, ready-to-eat ham (also referred to as a "city ham") can be sliced and served cold or at room temperature—there's no need to reheat it. A spiral-cut ham is delicious this way, whether eaten by the slice, tucked into biscuits, or in a grilled cheese sandwich.