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8 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking a Whole Ham

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, I worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW's test kitchens. I've edited and tested recipes for more than 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. My favorite taste testers are my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie.
Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
Andrea Rivera WawrzynAssociate Food Editor, The Kitchn
Andrea is the Associate Food Editor at The Kitchn. She is a lifelong Chef and full-time clog enthusiast. Her passions include grabbing more books at the library than she can read in the time allotted and the relentless pursuit of the perfect burrito. She lives in Salem, MA with…read more
updated Nov 22, 2024
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A half-carved baked ham on a serving platter with a carving fork and knife resting on the platter.
Credit: Photo: Ryan Liebe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

In my opinion, if you’ve decided to make a holiday ham, you’ve certainly made the right choice. It’s my favorite main dish for any large gathering! But even though there isn’t much cooking involved, there are some things to avoid when buying and preparing the ham so that you can have the perfect centerpiece for your special meal.

Buying the Wrong Type of Ham

There are two kinds of cured whole hams: country hams and city hams. Country hams are uncooked hams like prosciutto, and they are not the kind you usually see pre-cooked and/or spiral-sliced. And stay away from canned hams, which are not whole pieces of meat but smaller pieces pressed together.

Follow this tip: Holiday hams are city hams, which are pre-cooked and sometimes smoked and pre-sliced cured legs of pork. If you’re not sure, look on the package for reheating instructions or the label “ready-to-eat.”

Buying an Artificially Plumped Ham

Even after you’ve located a smoked city ham, some of these may be injected with water or solutions that dilute the flavor.

Follow this tip: Buy hams that have no added juices or water. The label should just read “ham” — not “Ham, water added” or “Ham with natural juices”.

Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Not Lining the Roasting Pan

Ham glazes typically contain some kind of sweetener, brown sugar, maple syrup, pineapple juice, etc. Sugars in the glaze will caramelize and become a sticky mess on the bottom of your roasting pan, which can be a pain to clean later.

Follow this tip: Before placing your ham in the roasting pan, line it with 2 pieces of aluminum foil long enough to wrap up and around the ham to completely enclose it.

Credit: Photo: Ryan Liebe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Not Baking the Ham Cut-Side Down

A city ham is cut from the upper part of the leg and has a wide flat “cut side” and a narrower side. When reheating a ham in the oven, the exposed cut-side is extra susceptible to drying out.

Follow this tip: Place the ham with the wide, cut-side facing down to keep it from drying out during the long cook time.

Baking the Ham Uncovered

Ham is best reheated low and slow, and heating it uncovered means that the moisture in the ham evaporates, leaving it dry and unappetizing.

Follow this tip: Place the ham cut-side down in a baking pan. Cover the ham with foil or use a baking bag to heat up the ham until it’s time to glaze. You can also add a little bit of liquid, like wine or water, to the bottom of the baking pan for some additional moisture.

Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park

Not Glazing the Ham

Since most of the cooking is already done for you and you’re basically just reheating the ham, leaving it unglazed means it’s just not as tasty or attractive.

Follow this tip: You can use the packet of glaze that may come with the ham, but it’s just as easy to make your own. Here are five easy glazes to choose from that will make your ham seem more homemade!

Glazing the Ham Too Early

A big ham needs a few hours to reheat properly since it’s so dense, but if you heat it uncovered and glaze it right from the beginning, the ham will dry out.

Follow this tip: Heat the ham at 325°F — covered first — until it’s about 120°F, then kick the heat up to 425°F. Brush the ham with the glaze and bake for about 10 minutes. Glaze again, then broil until the outside is caramelized and the skin crisps (watch out for burning though!). The whole glazing process should only take about 15 minutes total.

Not Letting the Ham Rest Before Serving

Letting a ham rest after cooking allows the juices to redistribute throughout the roast, so you’ll have evenly moist slices.

Follow this tip: Let the ham rest, covered for at least 10 minutes after removing it from the oven before slicing into it.