How to Make Pre-Cooked Ham Taste Delicious
Spiral pre-cooked hams, also known as “city hams,” have always been my favorites as there is no danger of undercooking and we can focus on flavor. Heating and serving may seem simple enough, but you can overdo it in the oven, resulting in a dry, chewy pork product that no one wants. Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to make a salty piece of meat juicy and tender. Swap out a pack of sugary frosting for something homemade and you’ve got a pork masterpiece.
Strategy # 1: use bones and fat
Urban ham comes with or without bone, and while boneless ham is easier to chop, I’ve found that bone just tastes better, and the people at Serious Eats agree. As Kenji pointed out , this probably has less to do with the taste of the bones, but with the way the boneless hams are processed, which are molded into eerily smooth and uniform loaves. Another great reason to get a bony ham? This bone can be used to make soup and the soup is good.
Apart from the bones, I like to take ham with a little visible fat. The fat contributes to moisture and flavor, so leave any oily cap on it and cut lightly to make it better while you heat up the meat.
Strategy # 2: Move Slower and Slower
Although I’ve seen the recommended serving temperature for ham go up to 140 ℉, you’d better not let your precious pork come near that temperature. A cooler 120 ℉ is warm enough that the chance of the ham drying out at this temperature is much lower. You can go up to 130 ℉ without drying out, but I love aiming low in case someone forgets or gets distracted. (It’s me.)
If using an oven, place the ham on a roasting rack – cut side down – inside the skillet. Add 1 / 2–3 / 4 cup wine or broth to the skillet (you don’t want the ham floating in the liquid) and add some aromas – a few whole cloves, some star anise, and cinnamon sticks. all good options. Cover the ham with foil and place in a 250-degree oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 100. ( According to America’s Test Kitchen , this is the best time to glaze, and I agree.)
Using a fixed thermometer with a sensor is the easiest way to control this, but if you don’t have one, start checking the temperature with an instant reading thermometer in the first 45 minutes. Brush with icing and return the ham to the oven for another half hour, uncovered, until it reaches 120 ℉. If your frosting isn’t as shiny as you’d like, use a kitchen torch to make it crackle.
If you want to break out of the oven, you can also use a slow cooker or sous vide. When you use Crockpot or something similar, your frosting may run at the very beginning, as the chances of sticking are much lower. Simply place the ham in a saucepan, fan the slices and cover them with icing. Cook over low heat for 2 1/2-4 hours (depending on your multicooker), drizzle with icing every hour or so until you reach 120 ℉. I’m a big fan of Coca-Cola frostings, but we’ll get back to that in a minute.
Finally, there is my favorite meat method: sous vide. Simply close the ham in a freezer bag or vacuum bag and place it in a 120-degree water bath for at least three hours, but no more than eight hours, according to Food Lab . Lift it out of the tub, cover with frosting and either use a kitchen torch or place it under a brazier until it becomes caramelized and shiny.
Strategy # 3: Upgrade your frosting
I’m sure there are a few ready-made glazes that work, but I like to have a little more control over the result. There are a million different ways to glaze, but here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Coca-Cola frosting: 1 can of Coca-Cola + 16 ounces of minced pineapple (with juice) + 3/4 cup brown sugar.
- Dave Lieberman’s Dijon Maple Glaze : 1/2 cup maple syrup + 1/2 cup brown sugar + 2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Ina Garten Orange Gummy Icing: 6 minced garlic cloves + 8 1/2 oz orange marmalade + 1/2 cup Dijon mustard + 1 cup light brown sugar + one orange zest and 1/4 cup orange juice.
If you are using a slow cooker, whisk all the icing ingredients and apply them to the pork as described above. If not, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until simmering. Cook for a few more minutes until you have a nice thick sauce, then set aside until you are ready to coat with the icing.
This post was originally published in March 2018 and was updated on November 13, 2020.