Introduction

Cooking a ham is an easy process, but it does take some time. The best part about cooking a ham is that you can do most of the work ahead of time, then pop it into the oven when guests come over or before dinner. A ham will serve up to 12 people, so if you want to make sure there’s enough for everyone, start with an 8-pound ham that’ll feed about 10-12 people (or more).

Place the ham in a large roasting pan.

Place the ham in a large roasting pan. Make sure it’s covered with water, then add brown sugar and spices. Cover with foil and place in the oven for about 20 minutes per pound (8 hours).

Score the surface of the ham (if desired) with a sharp knife (or use a special ham scorer).

Score the surface of the ham (if desired) with a sharp knife (or use a special ham scorer).

Scoring is the process of cutting into the surface of your ham to help it cook more evenly and quickly. There are many ways you can score your meat, but here are some common patterns:

• Score in a diamond pattern by making diagonal slashes across the top and bottom of each slice.
• Score in a crisscross pattern by making vertical cuts on both sides of each slice and then diagonal slashes between them.
• Score in a crosshatch pattern by making diagonal cuts across each slice from corner to corner; then make vertical cuts between these lines from top to bottom so that when you look at it from above or below, there will be alternating rows of squares formed between all four sides’ edges.

Rub 1/4 cup brown sugar on the surface of the ham.

• Rub 1/4 cup brown sugar on the surface of the ham. You can use a paper towel to rub in the sugar, but don’t worry if you don’t get it all.
• Don’t use too much brown sugar, or it will burn and become bitter during cooking (and therefore ruin your meal).
• Be gentle when rubbing it in, or else you may tear up your ham!

Sprinkle 1/3 cup of brown sugar over the surface of the ham and rub it in gently.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup of brown sugar over the surface of the ham and rub it in gently. The brown sugar will help give your ham a slightly caramelized flavor, which pairs perfectly with the maple syrup glaze. It will also help keep your ham moist as it cooks by dissolving into its water bath, so be sure to add this ingredient before cooking!

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground ginger over the surface of the ham, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Ginger is a good spice to add to ham because it adds a nice flavor and texture.

When you sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground ginger over the surface of your 8-pound fully cooked, bone-in ham (or 1/2 teaspoon for every pound), be sure to season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Add 1/2 cup brown sugar to six cups of water and stir until dissolved. Pour into roasting pan around ham.

Add 1/2 cup brown sugar to six cups of water and stir until dissolved. Pour into roasting pan around ham.

Pour the following ingredients over the top of the ham:

1 cup cider vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 cup orange juice

Ham will take about 4 hours to cook

The most common mistake people make when cooking ham is not cooking it long enough. Ham is a tough piece of meat and needs to be cooked for a long time in order to become tender, so don’t be afraid to let the oven run all day if necessary.

Another common mistake is cooking too much ham at once, which results in over-salted meat because there isn’t enough liquid left in the pot after an hour or so of cooking time. If you’re going for that salty taste and want more than one person eating from your pot roast recipe (or whatever), consider halving everything else on this list except for the amount of water used; this should help prevent any excess saltiness from building up during cooking time!

Conclusion

If you’re cooking a ham, it’s important to make sure that the meat is thoroughly cooked. That way, everyone can enjoy their holiday meal!