Roasted Fresh Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is a fresh ham the same as a pork roast? ›

You start demystifying the process of getting a fresh ham at the butcher. One main kitchen-Zen fact to remember: You're essentially buying a pork roast. It's not “red” from the nitrates, it's pink-beige, the way you like to see your pork roasts, loins, and chops.

After choosing a pork roast (or several!) to make into ham, the first thing you need to do is brine the ham. Some people call this “curing” a ham — brining is a type of curing. To brine a ham is basically to wet cure a ham. Brining takes several days, and it's essential to the process of making a good ham.

Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

Usually, the color of a cured ham is a deep rose color or pink. A fresh ham (one that has not been cured) will have a pale pink or beige color similar in color to a fresh pork roast. Country ham and prosciutto (both are dry cured) range in color from pink to a mahogany color. Hams can be ready-to-eat or not.

And in order for them to get that classic salty, sweet taste of ham, they would have to be cured first before baking.

Uncured ham, also labeled as "fresh ham" is the same cut as cured ham.

Cook the ham for about 20 minutes per pound, give or take a few minutes per pound. Some cooks also recommend cooking the ham in simmering water for 3 hours, then finishing in a 300-degree oven for another 2-3 hours. Both these methods — using lower heat and cooking in water — help it keep from drying out.

The usual color for cured ham is deep rose or pink; fresh ham (which is not cured) has the pale pink or beige color of a fresh pork roast; country hams and prosciutto (which are dry cured) range from pink to a mahogany color. Hams are either ready-to-eat or not.

If necessary, soak the gammon (ham) in cold water to reduce saltiness, according to butcher or packet instructions (most do not need this anymore as curing methods have changed). Weigh to calculate the cooking time. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

Cooking Temperature and Time

If the ham is a half ham weighing five to seven pounds, it should heat at 325°F for 22-25 minutes per pound. If it is a whole ham weighing between 10 to 14 pounds, heat the ham at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.

Why does precooked ham have to reach 140? ›

However, if you want to reheat these cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325 °F and heat to an internal temperature of 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Unpackaged, cooked ham is potentially contaminated with pathogens.

The glaze should not be applied until the final hour to 30 minutes, in order to avoid burning the sugars. What you're going to do with the glaze ingredients is just combine most of them into a paste, and then apply it to the ham. After that, the heat in your oven will take care of everything.

Its flavor and texture are more like pork loin, but with skin that cooks up as crisp as pork belly. Planning ahead is key: Order it from your butcher a couple weeks before you plan to cook it, and ask for the shank (lower) half of the ham.

Despite the term "uncured," this type of ham usually undergoes a cooking process during its preparation, such as smoking or baking, before it reaches the market. This means that the ham is safe for consumption, although it may require additional heating to achieve the desired tenderness and taste.

“Uncured” simply means that the meat was not preserved using any unnatural or synthetic forms of nitrates or nitrites. This helps to keep the meat just that - simpler. Uncured meats are still preserved but rely on natural salts and flavorings, not by adding synthetic chemicals.

Leg: The rear legs are often referred to as “ham.” This primal cut is sold as large roasts and is available fresh or cured.

HAM:The back leg of the hog is where we get fresh or smoked ham. Fresh hams are usually roasted, or ground and used for sausage. If smoked you can have a boneless or bone in option. It can also be cut into smoked ham steak.

A picnic ham is not actually a ham because it is from the shoulder of the animal instead of from the hind leg. A picnic ham may be sold as a fresh pork roast or one that is cured and smoked. A picnic shoulder will usually cost less than ham and is not as popular because it has more bone and is less tender.