Perfect Ham

Photo Credit: R o b e r t M via Compfight cc

I admit I love ham.  For me, it also brings back memories of visits with my grandmother Mary.  For her, every family gathering called for her classic menu of baked ham, potato salad, and baked beans.  Yum!

While I have loved a good baked ham since I was a boy, I never learned now to actually bake my own until the last few years.  After some trial and error -plus plenty of calls for advice to my mother- I now share with you, dear readers, my guide to the perfect ham!














1. First, let's talk hams.  If you can, find a ham still on the bone.  Other hams may have removed the bone and can be full of bits of ham pressed together or more solutions injected into the meat.  Get a ham and a ham bone -Fido will thank you.

2. Second, there are two kinds of basic curing methods for hams.  As folks say here in Kentucky, you can have "city ham" and "country ham".  Most Southerners are familiar with salt-cured country ham.  When I moved to Kentucky I was not familiar with the corresponding term of "city ham", but city hams are your more common, sugar-cured hams.  Buy yourself a nice city ham to bake.  (You can fry up some slices of country ham for a deliciously salty sidekick to your breakfast eggs.)

3. Cooking times:  Here is one of the great mysteries that kept me from making ham for years:  how long do you bake one?  It turns out the rule of thumb is really simple:  bake at 350F for <b>20 minutes per pound of ham</b>.  So, if you have a 5 pound ham, you would bake it for an hour and a half.

4. Recipe:  The final key to a perfect ham is a simple glaze that will knock your socks off in taste:

• 1 can of regular, sugary cola (Coke or Pepsi preferably)
• a pinch (around 1/4 teaspoon) of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar

Unwrap and rinse your ham.

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Place your ham in a large roasting pan.

Pour the can of soda over your ham.

Sprinkle the brown cloves on your ham.

Cover your ham loosely with aluminum foil and place in the oven.

Every 30 minutes to 1 hour remove the ham from the oven and baste the ham with the soda/clove/juices from the bottom of the pan.

30 minutes before your ham's bake time is finished, take out of the oven and pat the brown sugar onto the ham.  Put the ham back into the oven and finish baking.

Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to absorb more rich juices and to cool slightly.  Slice and serve.

You should end up with a moist and succulent ham with a hint of cloves and sweetness.  

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes* (most of the glaze ends up in the bottom of the pan)
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  no (uses sugar)
SugarBusters:  no (uses sugar)
Sugar Free:  no (uses sugar)
Vegan:  no, most definitely not
Vegetarian:  no, most definitely not
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes* (if you keep to a serving of around 1/2 cup)

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.