Qestions on cooking a ham

[burntmuch]

Im cooking a ham off one of our pigs for this years family Christmas. Its a smaller one. It has been smoked at the butchers. Im thinking 325 degrees for 20 mins a pound, then slice it up. It wieghs 8 & a half lbs . I kinda looking for different glazing recipes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[subdjoe]

Im cooking a ham off one of our pigs for this years family Christmas. Its a smaller one. It has been smoked at the butchers. Im thinking 325 degrees for 20 mins a pound, then slice it up. It wieghs 8 & a half lbs . I kinda looking for different glazing recipes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

All depends on what you like. 

I've done cherry preserves with a lot of fresh ginger and some bourbon.  The classic peach preserves with stone ground mustard and cloves.  Brown sugar with cloves and cinnamon.  Cola and catsup.  Orange marmalade with spices. Spiced applesauce. 

Or thin out the any of the preserves with strong coffee.  Or molasses and coffee.

[briarpatch]

I was wondering did you get the user name BURNTMUCH from trying to cook a ham. 

[powderman]

I was wondering did you get the user name BURNTMUCH from trying to cook a ham. 

 
HEH, I wasn't going to ask, but I thought it. POWDERMAN. 

[GRIMJIM]

My wife does a basic brown sugar and 7-up glaze that's pretty good.

[mechanic]

I put mine in the crockpot with some pineapple slices and juice, and cook it off the bone.  Lazy man's way, but it tastes really good!
 
Ben

[Old Syko]

As stated, 325 for 20 minutes a pound.  Ham in large roasting pan fat side up.  Make multiple slits in which to insert a few whole cloves.  Add 12 oz. 7up to the pan and drench the ham in honey.  Tent with aluminum foil.  With about 45 minutes left to cook uncover and baste in existing liquid then lightly coat with brown sugar, paprika, salt and white pepper (easy on the salt and pepper) and allow to finish baking uncovered.  Baste again and allow to sit for just a few minutes before slicing. 

[blind ear]

As stated, 325 for 20 minutes a pound.  Ham in large roasting pan fat side up.  Make multiple slits in which to insert a few whole cloves.  Add 12 oz. 7up to the pan and drench the ham in honey.  Tent with aluminum foil.  With about 45 minutes left to cook uncover and baste in existing liquid then lightly coat with brown sugar, paprika, salt and white pepper (easy on the salt and pepper) and allow to finish baking uncovered.  Baste again and allow to sit for just a few minutes before slicing.

Aw man, from my ham cooking experiences, that sounds hard to beat! I score mine in a cross hatch pattern and plug my cloves in all the x crosses and then cover it with pineapple slices pinned with toothpicks and put marischino cherries in the center of each pineapple slice just for eye candy. The 7up bath and honey I will add.
ear

[subdjoe]

As stated, 325 for 20 minutes a pound.  Ham in large roasting pan fat side up.  Make multiple slits in which to insert a few whole cloves.  Add 12 oz. 7up to the pan and drench the ham in honey.  Tent with aluminum foil.  With about 45 minutes left to cook uncover and baste in existing liquid then lightly coat with brown sugar, paprika, salt and white pepper (easy on the salt and pepper) and allow to finish baking uncovered.  Baste again and allow to sit for just a few minutes before slicing.

Hmmm......substitute ginger ale, or ginger beer, for the 7-Up...hmmmmmm......

[Old Syko]

Hmmm......substitute ginger ale, or ginger beer, for the 7-Up...hmmmmmm......

Ginger ale works well if you use the right kind.  Some ginger ales will cook into the meat leaving a bitter taste that all the sugar and honey in the world won't overcome.  Canada dry and shwepps work well enough but some of the off brands aren't a good idea.   And for God sake don't use diet drinks!  This stuff ain't on anybodies weight loss program any how. [size=78%] [/size]


I never bothered with the pineapple slices and cherries for looks because like Dad always told me "Don't matter how good you make it look going in it's still going to look like $#^% in the morning."   

[blind ear]

Sounds as if your father studied the same philosophers as my father. ear

[subdjoe]

Hmmm......substitute ginger ale, or ginger beer, for the 7-Up...hmmmmmm......

Ginger ale works well if you use the right kind.  Some ginger ales will cook into the meat leaving a bitter taste that all the sugar and honey in the world won't overcome.  Canada dry and shwepps work well enough but some of the off brands aren't a good idea.   And for God sake don't use diet drinks!  This stuff ain't on anybodies weight loss program any how. [size=78%] [/size]


I never bothered with the pineapple slices and cherries for looks because like Dad always told me "Don't matter how good you make it look going in it's still going to look like $#^% in the morning."   

Yeah, no diet sodas for glazes, you need the sugars for the texture and browning.  I was thinking on the line of Cock & Bull Ginger Beer, or maybe Reeds.  And I agree with Canada Dry or Shwepps.  Avoid the house brands.  Vernors has always had some odd aftertaste to me.

[Old Syko]

Yeah, no diet sodas for glazes, you need the sugars for the texture and browning.  I was thinking on the line of Cock & Bull Ginger Beer, or maybe Reeds.  And I agree with Canada Dry or Shwepps.  Avoid the house brands.  Vernors has always had some odd aftertaste to me.

I guess great minds run in the same gutter.       Vernors is the main one I was referring to earlier but went a little brain dead.  Thanks for the nudge.  Tried root beer once and sure wasn't happy with that outcome.  Just plain strange.

[subdjoe]

Yeah, no diet sodas for glazes, you need the sugars for the texture and browning.  I was thinking on the line of Cock & Bull Ginger Beer, or maybe Reeds.  And I agree with Canada Dry or Shwepps.  Avoid the house brands.  Vernors has always had some odd aftertaste to me.

I guess great minds run in the same gutter.       Vernors is the main one I was referring to earlier but went a little brain dead.  Thanks for the nudge.  Tried root beer once and sure wasn't happy with that outcome.  Just plain strange.

Ya know, Birch Beer might work.  Or real sarsaparilla.   I bet the root beer didn't work because too much of the flavoring comes from man made chemicals.  7-Up, Canada Dry, Shwepps, Cock & Bull, and Reeds all are made with natural flavorings.

Be interesting to try mead or hard cider.

[Bugflipper]

Plenty of ideas for glaze already, I just do the same old boring brown sugar, cloves and pineapple slices. But I use the pineapple juice to inject the ham with. That makes it pretty good.

[rockbilly]

Cross cut about every 2 inches, insert a whole clove at each cross, then coat with a generous coating of the following and cook twenty minutes for each pound.

Mix one cup of brown sugar, one heaping tablespoon of dried mustard and one cup of bourbon, mix well and coat the ham, save any left to baste with if needed.  Wrap in foil to form a tent over the ham and put her in the oven.  When she is near done, about 30-40 minutes left, baste again.   Add a small amount of orange juice and orange zest to the second bastes mixture.

[Old Syko]

Be interesting to try mead or hard cider.

Mead, ale, hard cider, bourbon, or just plain old beer serve as ingredients to grilling sauce around here.  Melt one stick of real butter, add 1 cup or so ketchup, 12oz or so of your favorite liquid refreshment, salt, pepper, garlic and hot sauce to taste.  Heat until ready to boil.  Sit it on the grill and baste anything you cook every chance you get.  Works on anything from weenies to steak, chicken or fish.   

[FTG-05]

I cook my ham at no higher temp than 250, sometimes 225 using a Reynolds cooking bag.  I also cook to an internal temp of 140 or so with a reliable and accurate temp gauge.. 

Meat doesn't have to be cooked at a high temp to get cooked thoroughly.  Low and slow will get you there without overcooking or, worse, drying out the meat.

Good luck.

[blind ear]

I cook my ham at no higher temp than 250, sometimes 225 using a Reynolds cooking bag.  I also cook to an internal temp of 140 or so with a reliable and accurate temp gauge.. 

Meat doesn't have to be cooked at a high temp to get cooked thoroughly.  Low and slow will get you there without overcooking or, worse, drying out the meat.

Good luck.

+1 -  That internal temp and carry over cooking time produce a nice sliceable ham that doesn't have a canned taste. ear

[longwinters]

I can really like many of the glazes, but I love ham gravy more.  And to me ham gravy should be a bit salty not sweet.
 
I cook em low and longer.
 
Long

[burntmuch]

I cooked our ham at 300 for 90 minutes, with a simple sprite & brown sugar glaze. Everybody loved it. It fed my side of the family ,then we ate leftovers the other day. Tomarrow its going into a pot of bean soup. This was a ham of one of the pigs we raised this summer. We were pretty happy with the results. Thanks for the ideas, guys. It prevented me from buggering this thing up.