Curious how to prepare your Beeler’s Uncured Ham? Baked ham can be an amazing addition for your spring celebration table, providing not only a beautiful centerpiece but also abundant leftovers for meals throughout the week. Whether you are preparing a Honey Baked Spiral Ham, a Classic Pineapple Glazed Bone-In Ham, or the super simple Brown-Sugar & Dijon Mustard Glazed Boneless Ham, check out our recipes for step-by-step instructions on how to make each type.
If this is your first time preparing a ham or you just aren’t very confident working with large celebration centerpieces like ham, don’t worry! A Glazed Ham is an easy, low risk, forgiving recipe – much easier than other traditional celebration mains like roasted turkey or prime rib because:
- It’s already cooked!
- It can be prepared in couple of hours on a low temperature and cook time precision isn’t that important.
- It can be prepared ahead days in advance.
- It can easily be fixed, even if you run into problems!
It is also a great economical option because a little bit goes far, and even the best cuts are still budget friendly.
Making sure you have the right tools: Equipping yourself with the right tools is crucial for successfully preparing your ham. A sturdy roasting pan, a reliable meat thermometer, a brush for applying glaze, a sharp knife, and a sturdy cutting board are essential.
Preparing your (non-spiral) hams: Most hams are relatively well trimmed, so it’s not likely that you will need to do any serious butchering. What you are looking for is an approximate ¼-inch-thick layer of fat. If your ham has excess fat, you should use a sharp knife to remove it. For the best depth of flavor, score the fat in a diamond pattern. This allows the glaze and seasonings to better penetrate the ham.
Preparing all hams: To keep your ham from drying out, cook it with the cut side down in the roasting pan. Most recipes also call for adding at least a small amount of liquid to the bottom of the pan to prevent the juices or any glaze from burning when it hits the hot pan.
Beeler’s uncured hams are fully cooked and ready to eat – which means that you could serve it cold, but glazing and warming it will greatly improve the flavor. A fully cooked ham should have an internal temperature of 140ºF when reheated. If you’re using fresh ham and looking for a medium-rare interior, you’ll want a temperature of 145ºF. If you’d like it to be more medium, allow the interior to reach a temperature of 160ºF.
As with all large cuts of meat, it’s important to allow the meat to rest before slicing and serving to allow the juices to redistribute. For the best results, allow the meat to rest 20-30 minutes before carving and only slice what you will eat immediately so the meat doesn’t dry out.
Leftovers! ham proves to be a versatile ingredient so many dishes, from breakfast quiche to piled high sandwiches and comforting soups, making it an invaluable addition to your post-celebration culinary adventures.