MAIN Cooking Ham

Planning a ham dinner for the holidays or for any special meal is a tradition that many families share. Whether the special day is Christmas, Easter or just a gathering of friends or family, a ham makes a great main meat dish.

Since ham is pork, you'll need to make sure to cook the meat thoroughly unless you opt for one of the ready to serve varieties.

How long do you cook ham? Allow 20 to 30 minutes per pound for ham that has not been precooked. A precooked ham does not have to be cooked, but will taste better if you heat it thoroughly. Rule of thumb? Heat in a 325°F oven (163°C) for 12 to 15 minutes per pound.

How much ham per person? Count on 4 to 5 servings for a boneless ham; 3 to 4 servings per pound for a semi-boneless ham; and about 2 to 3 servings per pound if you're serving a bone-in ham.

One popular choice, canned hams, are boneless and usually fully cooked. They may be served right from the can or heated. They come in a range of sizes with some of the fancier selections already prepared with honey glaze, wine, or other marinades.

Country salt-cured hams take more preparation time and have a very distinct flavor, but if you develop a taste for this Southern treat, you'll understand why it's worth the extra time to cook. Traditional Virginia hams are one version of the salty country hams that many enjoy.

Fresh ham is the PRIME cut of meat from a hog's hind leg (where most hams come from)
resulting in an extra-tender, fancy pork roast served for the holidays.

Skinless, shankless hams are not in a can, but the ham is boned, skinned, and trimmed of excess fat and many are sold ready to heat and eat.

Smoked picnic ham is a shoulder cut, cured and smoked. They also come ready to serve. Smoked shoulder butt is a shoulder cut, cured and smoked.

Finally, what wine goes with ham during a festive holiday feast? As some experts suggest, think pink! A good dry Rose or Zinfandel always pairs well with ham, or try sparkling wine or champange for an extra special occasion.

More about ham recipes around the Web:

No matter which recipe options you choose, the sites here will help with shopping, cooking and serving advice. These recipes for glazes and special ideas will make your ham dinner simple and simply delicious...

also see in Recipes -> Honey Baked Ham

Ham Recipes - From honey baked ham with cloves, to recipes with a variety of sweet glazes, you'll find the most popular and traditional ham recipes here with complete ingredients, instructions and accompanying photos.

CD Kitchen Ham Recipes - This site has some good crockpot recipes for ham as well as casseroles and other unusual ham dishes in the more than 7 pages with more than 150 different ham recipes. You should be able to find one that is just what you're looking for here...

Top Rated Ham Recipes- All Recipes - Check out a great collection of visitor-submitted recipes including 5-star reviews.