Introduction
Cooking a ham can be one of the most delicious and satisfying meals you’ll ever have. It’s also an easy dish to make, and will taste good even if you’re not much of a cook. The key is just making sure that you buy a fully cooked ham. This way, all you have to do is reheat it! Here are some tips on how long it will take for your fully cooked ham to get ready so that you can enjoy this delicious meal with friends and family.
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
This is the standard temperature for cooking a ham, so make sure the oven is preheated before you put the ham in the oven.
2. Remove the ham from the packaging and rinse well with cold water.
- Remove the ham from its packaging and rinse well with cold water. Do not use soap or detergent to clean your fully cooked ham; instead, use a clean cloth to dry it thoroughly on all sides.
- Place a rack in the bottom of an ovenproof roasting pan large enough to hold your fully cooked ham (a 10-pounder will require at least an 18-inch by 12-inch roasting pan). Preheat your oven’s broiler setting to high heat (500 degrees F).
3. Dry the exterior of the ham with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the ham in a roasting pan and dry it with paper towels.
- Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides, making sure to season both sides of the fat cap (the top layer). Do not use too much salt, as this will make your ham overly salty; similarly, don’t use too much pepper–it can make your meat spicy if used in excess!
4. Place ham in roasting pan or deep baking dish, fat side up, cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes per pound.
The cooking time for a fully cooked ham is approximately 30 minutes per pound. The amount of time it takes to cook depends on the size of your ham, so make sure you check with your butcher before buying one. If you want to glaze your fully cooked ham with a mixture of brown sugar, water and mustard (this can be done in advance), start basting every 10 minutes during the last hour of cooking time.
A 10-pound fully cooked smoked Virginia hams will take about 4 hours at 325 degrees Farenheit
5. Remove foil and pour glaze over ham every 10 minutes during last hour of cooking time; baste as needed to prevent drying out of meat during this time period.
- Remove foil and pour glaze over ham every 10 minutes during last hour of cooking time; baste as needed to prevent drying out of meat during this time period.
- Glaze is a mixture of brown sugar, water and orange juice.
Make sure you buy a fully cooked ham
You should never buy a raw ham. Never. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one anyway, but if you do, stay away from it!
You also should not buy any type of ham that has already been smoked or glazed (like spiral hams). These types of hams have already been cooked and need only be heated up before serving. Finally, you don’t want to go with a fully cooked ham either–the goal here is to cook it yourself so that everyone can enjoy their own version of perfection!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy your ham! If you have any questions about cooking it, please reach out to us at support@hamcentral.com.