How to Make and Carve the Juciest Bone-In, Whole Holiday Ham is not as hard as it looks. These step by step directions will help you conquer the task like a pro.
The ham is all about pomp and circumstance don’t you think? At least that’s the only reason I put the pineapple and cherry decor in the ham’s skin. They don’t contribute to the overall flavor, but they look gorgeous on the holiday buffet! You know what they say, “we eat with our eyes first”.
Anyway, making the juciest bone-in, whole holiday ham is easier than you think. It all starts with the ham itself. I’ll admit, I am a bit a ham snob. It has to be quality and it HAS to be bone-in. Now, almost five years ago, I wrote about a making a Baked Ham with Rum and Coke Glaze. It is an amazing recipe using a smaller ham, but still bone-in. Please tell me you have stopped buying the pre-sliced spiral ham. If you haven’t, call me and I’ll talk you off the ledge, or I’ll talk to your family member who’s still doing it.
Anyway, I have to admit I am so, so lucky to have one of the most quality places to buy meat. This particular bone-in, whole ham is from my local go-to place for all things meat. My mom, who has been cooking hams for YEARS visits and can’t believe how lovely this ham turns out. A good ham requires little intervention.
My point is, you have to start with an excellent ham, to get the best and juiciest flavor. And don’t be afraid of the carving, it’s not hard. This particular ham weighed in at 19.5 pounds. It would, without a doubt, feed 20-25 people, or better yet, a smaller crowd with lots of leftovers.
Remember, the ham is already cooked, so basically you’re warming it up. It does take a while and I recommend doing it slowly. This ham was in the oven for about five-and-half-hours at 300 degrees F.
The whole ham comes wrapped in a sort-of cheesecloth bag, remove it and place the ham on your roasting rack, fat side up. The pan should be shallow and free of any water on the bottom. In other words, It should be completely dry.
You’ll want to score the ham before baking. Scoring not only looks beautiful but allows any fat to render from the ham and lets the glaze seep in. Score the ham’s fat in diamonds, going only a 1/4″ deep with a knife. I use a strip of heavy paper, 12 x 2 inches (this one was made from a pizza box), as a guide to cut perfectly parallel lines.
I insert my favorite meat thermometer (I would not even know how to guess doneness without it) deep into the ham. Bake the ham in a 300 degree F oven until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F.
At 130 degrees F, remove the ham from the oven and glaze it with my Brown Sugar-Dijon-Pineapple Glaze (recipe below). This is where you can add the pineapple and cherry decor if you choose. Put the ham back into the oven until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 150 degrees.
And there she is in all her beauty!! Remove from the oven and let the ham rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Remove the ham from the roasting rack and place it on a sturdy cutting board. A towel underneath the cutting board will help the board not slide across the counter. You will need a very sharp knife. I prefer a 9″ carver for this type of job and a carving fork. First, trim a couple of slices from the ham parallel to its length. This will allow the ham to rest flatly on it’s side while carving the rest of the meat.
Now that your ham is resting on the flat side you created, use your carving fork to hold the ham firmly in place. Start at the shank end and cut slices downward until you hit the bone. You can make the slices as thick or thin as you like.
To release the slices you already cut, use your knife and cut parallel along the bone. Continue this around the ham until you have the amount of slices you prefer. Clean up the bone later and use it for soup!
A beautiful platter full of amazing meat! Ham at its best.
How to Make and Carve the Juiciest Bone-In, Whole Holiday Ham
Ingredients
- 1 (18-20 lb) bone-in, whole ham
For the Glaze:
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tablespoons crushed pineapple, drained
For the Garnish:
- pineapple chunks or rings and marachino cherries, optional
Directions
- For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use. You could wait to do this until the ham has been cooking a few hours.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Remove any coverings or wrappings from the ham itself. Place the ham on your roasting rack, fat side up. The pan should be shallow and free of any water on the bottom. In other words, It should be completely dry.
- You'll want to score the ham before baking. Scoring not only looks beautiful but allows any fat to render from the ham and lets the glaze seep in. Score the ham's fat in diamonds, going only a 1/4" deep with a knife. I use a strip of heavy paper, 12 x 2 inches, as a guide to cut perfectly parallel lines.
- Insert meat thermometer deep into the ham and bake until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F. Remove ham from the oven and brush with glaze, making sure to get into the all of the crevices made by scoring. Add pineapple chunks and cherries at this time if desired, securing with toothpicks. Place ham back into the oven until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Remove from oven and let ham rest 15-20 minutes before carving.
- Remove the ham from the roasting rack and place it on a sturdy cutting board. A towel underneath the cutting board will help it not to slide across the counter. You will need a very sharp knife. I prefer a 9" carver for this type of job and a carving fork. First, trim a couple of slices from the ham parallel to its length. This will allow the ham to rest flatly on it's side while carving the rest of the meat.
- Now that your ham is resting on the flat side you created, use your carving fork to hold the ham firmly in place. Start at the shank end and cut slices downward until you hit the bone. You can make the slices as thick or thin as you like.
- To release the slices you already cut, use your knife and cut parallel along the bone. Continue this around the ham until you have the amount of slices you prefer.
Other Ham Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Pressure Cooked Bone-In Ham
Mom’s Bone-In Ham
Here are some recipes on how to use up the ham leftovers:
Warm & Cheesy Leftover Ham Salad with Shoestring Potato Crunch
Leftover Ham and Havarti Sliders on Parmesan-Butter Topped Pretzel Buns
Leftover Holiday Ham Strata ~ Reuben Style
Triple Threat Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Skillet Bowtie Bacon-Cabbage-Ham-Mushroom-Leek Pasta
Three Years Ago: Happy Elf Cocktail
Four Years Ago: Cranberry Pork Stew
Lea Ann (Cooking on The Ranch) says
I can hardly stand the hams from the supermarkets. Most of them are so darn salty. This year I bought my ham from an Amish community store, Yoder Meats, who won first place at the Kansas State Fair for their smoked hams. I’ve already used one of their ham hocks for soup and it was fabulous. Next trip to Ks. I’m taking an ice chest and loading up. Anyway, thanks for this post. I appreciate the cooking temperature tip. That will help. And yes, that dijon,brown sugar,pineapple thing will be my glaze.
Winnie says
Looks so delish! I always use a bone in ham as I keep all my meat on a bone for flavor and prevent drying out. (Heck, I use the bone for pea soup!) Thanks for showing how you carve, as is looks easier your way and I can have hubby follow your great directions next time I make one. Very similar glazes, but I do use cloves. Will try it your way next time.
Happy holidays!
Dave says
Man, that looks good! Since I’m in charge of the Christmas ham this year, I will sure give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Glenn says
God I crave ham, and you’re not helping! Love the glaze, I’ve always used pineapple and brown sugar, never thought about adding Dijon. That’s a nice touch. Gotta go ham huntin’!
peabody says
Old School! We always used to have it with the pineapple and cherries!!!
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
This looks amazing, Cathy! I am making ham for Christmas day and had pineapple and cherries on my list already. I can’t wait to taste it!
Wendy Trunick says
I love it! This reminds me of my childhood, except for the ham is way, way, way better. My Mom preferred canned ham, which is just so wrong on so many levels. Thanks for sharing with us.
Carolyn says
I left a comment last week that I have not seen posted. What ham would you recommend buying on the east coast.?The ham you suggested sounds wonderful but is a bit pricey with the shipping cost factored in. However, for a special occasion I might just order one of the delicious sounding hams from your area. I have bought a Smithfield apple smoked butt to try your method. I hope it works. Love your recipes!!
Cathy says
Hi Carolyn-there haven’t been any other comments that have been left? As far as back East, I have no idea, I have never lived there. Enjoy your holiday.
Regan says
I love Ham. We use concentrated apple juice, brown sugar, and Coleman’s powdered mustard. We also put a clove in each of the scored diamonds. Thanks for sharing this. I never thought to use a template to score the ham. My ham will look way better this year.
lori mendoza says
HI I think the ham will be great for the holidays
lori mendoza says
I know because I tried it before and it was delicious.
Cheryl says
Should the ham be covered?
Cathy says
No.
Cheryl says
I made this yesterday for Christmas dinner..Best ham I have every made. My company loved it! Perfect recipe. Thank you
Rob says
I have never made a whole ham before, but I decided to make this yesterday for Christmas dinner. The family was blown away by the presentation and the flavor and moistness of the meat. Thank you for the excellent instruction!
Cathy Pollak Jurewicz says
I could not afford one of the pricier hams, so I just bought a whole cooks ham,. I was surprised to read you recommended not to cover the ham,
I thought not covering it would dry it out more. By the way my last name truly was Pollak, and first name is Cathy, what a coincidence. So do I cover the ham or not? Any suggestions?
Cathy says
I do not know what a whole cooks ham is?
Regan says
I love Cook’s Ham. They are usually reasonably priced. I would definitely not cover it. The outside will turn dark and be kind of tough, but if you baste it often it will stay moist and tender on the inside.
Cathy says
A Cooks ham is a brand name of ham sold in the Midwest. Thanks Regan for your input, I’ve never cooked a ham without not securely wrapping it in aluminium foil before.
Cheryl MCormack says
How can I make this with a half of a ham? and which is the best cut shank or butt?
Cheryl MCormack says
I love this recipe best I have ever used…just need a smaller ham this time.
Cathy says
Thank you!
Cathy says
Butt.
Cheryl MCormack says
Thank you for answering so quickly,
Should I cover the cut end? And still cook it to 150? and rest 15 to 20 min?
Cathy says
Since I never do it that way, I always do a whole ham I am unable to give you advice on that based on experience.
Cheryl MCormack says
Okay thank you.
Lisa says
I live in ireland and we can’t buy pre cooked hams. This does look amazing. The hams here are very salty so we boild them for about 2 hours to get out the salt then finish off in the oven. I am hoping I can still use your recipe for when I put it in the oven.
Candice says
oh my! This looks SO delicious, so much so I might do this for Christmas instead of my go to slow roasted (on the BBQ) lamb!
olga says
this looks amazing! i am making extra glaze for the side because i know my hubby and brothers (and I) will want to add more to their plate as a gravy!! i bet its amazing ontop of mashed potatoes!! I will let you all know!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
allie mac lean says
I am old school,was brought up with ham and bone in and will not buy any other thanks for the tip on cooking , because sometime i will cook the ham on the top of the stove and put everything in it like potatoes , carrots , and other veggies , onions , ect in it and have a boiled dinner it is very tasty .
Cheri says
This is my first time cooking a whole ham. I have followed your recipe, just put the glaze on. Smells sooo good! Can hardly wait to try it. Thanks.
Cathy says
Good for you! So glad to hear it!
Cheri says
Our ham was scrumptious! Your instructions for cutting are the best I’ve ever tried. Thank you so much.
Melissa says
I have a wonderful smoked ham for Christmas and plan to use this recipe – looks amazing! My ham is 25 pounds. Can you tell me about how many minutes per pound?
Thank you!!!
Cathy says
I’m sorry, I do not cook my hams (or any meat really) without a temperature probe. For me the meat is ready when it comes to temperature, which can be drastically different depending on the ham temp when you start, how hot your oven is. I would pick one up for popping your ham in the oven, it will make such a difference.
Nancy says
We LOVE baked ham. Yours looks amazingly good! My usual Christmas Dinner for years & years & always with pineapple & cherries. My opinion is the pineapple & cherries are more than decor. Love them together with the ham. I make the glaze with cherry juice, pineapple juice & brown sugar. Have also used Coke cola. I never did use a thermometer, my bad, but I know the meat is already cooked & I bake on 300 to 325 degrees for 4 or 5 hours before dinner. It’s definitely done. I’ve never used the mustard either. Will def have to try it’s! Thank you so much for your recipes!
Mike Williams says
Should i cook the ham in a cooking bag?
Cathy says
No.
Mike Williams says
Thanks for getting right to the point. I am making a 17 lb. whole ham today[Christmas] without a bag and doing everything that your recipe says..I will let you know how it turns out.. It happens to be a Hazel ham from Hazelton Pa..I am from Lancaster. Thanks so much again
Peter A Jankowiak says
Ham looks awesome,I do it the same way but,, if you want the best ham ever,stick the ham with whole cloves every square inch,You will not regret it,Best ham Ever!!!
Ginny says
I have a 20 pound ham that I am making for work. I will obviously have to cook this the night before and bring it in the next day. Have you served this the next day before? Any suggestions on how to keep it moist and reheat it the following day?
Cathy says
I’ve served leftovers of this ham the next day. I don’t know how you would reheat a 20 lb ham, unless you are slicing it?