Custom-Made Traditional Bone In Leg Ham:
Reheating and Glazing Instructions:
Reheating and glazing a traditional bone-in ham can be a delicious way to serve it, whether it’s for a special occasion or a holiday meal. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
**Ingredients and Tools:**
– Fully-cooked bone-in ham
– Glaze (usually made with ingredients like brown sugar, honey, mustard, and spices)
– Roasting pan with a rack
– Aluminum foil
– Basting brush
– Meat thermometer
– Oven
**Instructions:**
1. **Prepare the Ham:**
– Remove the ham from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before cooking. This will help it cook more evenly.
2. **Preheat the Oven:**
– Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
3. **Score the Ham:**
– Using a sharp knife, remove the skin and make shallow cuts in a diamond pattern across the surface of the ham taking care not to go to deep and score the ham. This helps the glaze penetrate and adds an attractive presentation.
4. **Place the Ham in the Roasting Pan:**
– Put the ham on the rack inside the roasting pan. The rack allows air to circulate around the ham and prevents it from sitting in its own juices.
5. **Glaze the Ham:**
– Brush a generous amount of your glaze over the entire ham’s surface. Make sure to get the glaze into the cuts you made. You can repeat this process during cooking.
6. **Cover with Foil:**
– Cover the ham with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out during the initial stages of cooking. This helps keep the moisture in.
7. **Bake the Ham:**
– Place the ham in the preheated oven and bake according to the instructions on the ham’s packaging. As a general guideline, you’ll want to allow approximately 15-20 minutes per pound for cooking. Use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the ham. The goal is to reach an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C).
8. **Baste and Glaze:**
– About 30-45 minutes before the ham is done, remove the foil and baste the ham with more glaze. Continue to baste and glaze every 15 minutes until it’s done cooking.
9. **Rest the Ham:**
– Once the ham reaches the desired internal temperature, remove it from the oven. Let it rest for about 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute and makes it easier to slice.
10. **Carve and Serve:**
– Carve the ham and serve it with any remaining glaze as a sauce on the side.
Remember that the exact cooking time may vary depending on the size of your ham and the specifics of your oven. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the ham is properly cooked. Enjoy your delicious, glazed bone-in ham!
How to Look After Your Christmas Ham
How to keep a ham in the fridge
- To keep your ham fresh, it needs to be wrapped in a seasoned cloth. Ideally, a clean tea towel, a clean pillowcase, large piece of calico fabric, or a purpose-made ham bag.
- Rinse your cloth of choice in a solution of two cups white vinegar and two litres of water and allow it to dry but still be a little moist before wrapping the whole ham in the fabric before storing in the fridge.
- Avoid putting it in the coldest part of the fridge (ie. the back at the bottom), as this reaches temps of 3 degrees, whereas ham is recommended to be stored between 6-10 degrees.
- Wash the bag, towel or pillowcase every few days with a splash of vinegar in the water. Dry and use again.
How to freeze leftover ham
- Of course, around Christmas it can be hard to find room in the fridge to accommodate a whole ham leg. If this is the case, you can remove the meat from the bone in large chunks and store, wrapped in plastic and then foil, in the fridge or freezer.
- Whole hams can be frozen for up to three months.
We hope you enjoy our hams and have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.
Best Wishes Smokey Mountain Foods
