Roasted Fresh Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long do you cook a fresh ham per pound? ›

Cook the ham for about 20 minutes per pound, give or take a few minutes per pound. Some cooks also recommend cooking the ham in simmering water for 3 hours, then finishing in a 300-degree oven for another 2-3 hours. Both these methods — using lower heat and cooking in water — help it keep from drying out.

Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

You start demystifying the process of getting a fresh ham at the butcher. One main kitchen-Zen fact to remember: You're essentially buying a pork roast. It's not “red” from the nitrates, it's pink-beige, the way you like to see your pork roasts, loins, and chops.

Usually, the color of a cured ham is a deep rose color or pink. A fresh ham (one that has not been cured) will have a pale pink or beige color similar in color to a fresh pork roast. Country ham and prosciutto (both are dry cured) range in color from pink to a mahogany color. Hams can be ready-to-eat or not.

Cooking Temperature and Time

If the ham is a half ham weighing five to seven pounds, it should heat at 325°F for 22-25 minutes per pound. If it is a whole ham weighing between 10 to 14 pounds, heat the ham at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.

With a bone-in ham, plan on one-third to one-half pound of meat per person (or two to three servings per pound), or more if you want leftovers. For a boneless ham, figure about quarter-pound per person, or more for leftovers.

That's for an eight to 10-pound bone-in ham. Editor's Tip: For a fall-apart tender ham, let it cook longer; 10 to 12 hours on low.

If you don't have a meat thermometer, there are three visual checks that must done. Pierce the thickest part of the meat with a fork or skewer and check that: The juices run clear. It is piping hot all the way through (it should be steaming)

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 processing plant) must be cooked by the consumer before eating.

In fact, most ham that is sold to consumers is already cured, smoked or baked. As a deli meat, it can be eaten right out of the refrigerator, but other hams are typically reheated for improved flavor and texture. You can also buy fresh ham, and it would have to be cooked prior to eating.

What cut of meat is a fresh ham? ›

Hams are cut from the rear leg of a pig. The exception to this is picnic ham, which is really not ham at all. These “hams” are cut from the front leg.

A fresh ham, sometimes called a “green” ham, is pork at its most basic — not cured, not smoked, not cooked. The meat is so sweet and succulent, and the texture is meaty, not compact and slick as a cured ham often is.

Ham contains important nutrients such as selenium, phosphorous, and B vitamins, but it also comes with some health risks. Eating ham, along with other red meats, may raise the risk of heart disease and cancer, affect your life expectancy, and take a toll on the environment.

Uncured ham, also labeled as "fresh ham" is the same cut as cured ham.

Cured hams are also high in sodium, which could be a concern for those needing to watch their sodium intake. Uncured ham is often seen as the healthier alternative because of the more natural process by which it is cured and the lesser amount of sodium and calories.

Cooking it at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes per pound should do the trick, depending on the type of ham (whole or half, bone-in or no bone ― these specifics are outlined here). You just want to make sure the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees.

In the oven:

Preheat your oven to 325°F and bake for 30 minutes per pound or until heated through. Remove ham from oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Place the ham cut side down in the pan, The general rule of thumb for heating smoked ham is 10-15 minutes per pound in a 350 degree F oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees. (A meat thermometer is a helpful tool if you don't have one already!)