How to get a Fully Cooked Ham

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Fully Cooked Ham

How to Heat a Fully Cooked Ham.  A 'fully cooked' ham can be sliced and eaten cold in sandwiches and salads, but the flavor and texture are greatly improved by heating. Here's how to heat a ham labeled "fully cooked." These instructions apply to hams which are packaged in USDA inspected plants. Hams which are not from USDA inspected plants are heated to 165 F. TotallyChefs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ham
Author: totallychefs.com - Original Story: The Spruce

Instructions

  • First, check the label for instructions. It should be labeled 'fully cooked' or 'cook before eating.'
    Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4).
    Place the ham on a rack in a baking pan and add about 1/4 inch of water to the pan.
    If the ham is labeled 'fully cooked' (does not require heating), heat for 8 to 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140°F.
    To heat a spiral-sliced ham, place it on a sheet of heavy-duty foil, cut-side down. Wrap the ham tightly with the foil and bake at 300° F (150° C/Gas 2) for about 15 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer registers 140° F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat, not touching bone.
    If the ham is labeled 'cook before eating,' heat to an internal temperature of at least 145°F.
    If you have a large enough slow cooker, put the ham in it and add about 1 cup of ginger ale, cola, stock, or water. Heat on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the temperature reaches 140° F for a 'fully cooked' ham or 145° F for a 'cook before eating' ham.

Notes

  • If you are glazing the ham, you might want to score it. This makes for an attractive presentation, and it will allow the glaze to penetrate the meat. With a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern. For extra flavor, if desired, insert a whole clove into each cut intersection or in the centers of the diamonds.
  • To glaze a cooked ham, increase the oven temperature to 400° F (200° C/Gas 6) and brush the glaze over the meat. Bake the ham until the glaze is golden brown. A small ham or ham slice can be glazed and then browned quickly under the broiler.
  • The picnic ham or smoked shoulder tastes like ham but is not real ham (a true ham comes from the hind leg of the animal). It is fattier than a ham, requires longer cooking, and has more bones.