If it is deeper than the desired thickness, trim additional fat off. Having the meat slowly thaw in the refrigerator will result in the best quality of meat and is the safest method for preventing food borne disease. The ham should be cooked immediately after thawing and should not be stored for any period of time. Then, cut around the bone. Turn the ham after each slice and make another cut, slightly overlapping the previous cut. Place the ham on a cutting board and trim off 2 or 3 slices, parallel to its length, from the thin side of the ham. First, it allows the juices to redistribute, so the meat doesn’t lose all its moisture (and tons of flavor) when you cut into it. A ham may require up to 1 ½ times the cooking time of an unfrozen ham. If it still has its rind and fat, follow the steps below for Trimming the Ham. Leave a thin layer of fat on the surface of the ham as you peel the skin away. Meat can be cooked without thawing first. Cooking Terms. Place the ham on a rack in a shallow pan with the cut side down. Second, it helps you avoid burning yourself. Warm your platter before loading it up with sliced ham. Serve with a sauce made from drippings and flavored with the same ingredients used in your glaze. If you need to use this method there are precautions that should be taken to provide a safe environment for this method of thawing. Description: This cut is the lower leg (shank) portion of the cured and smoked pork ham wholesale cut. Wet-cured and dry-cured hams, whether they are uncooked, partially cooked or fully cooked, can have their flavor enhanced by preparing a ham glaze recipe to added if desired. Your semi-boneless ham has just one bone running through it. Proper thawing is necessary to discourage growth of harmful organisms, and proper cleaning of the work area prevents contamination of other food or preparation surfaces. Want to see this technique in action? During the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time, the glaze is applied and then the ham is returned to the oven until the glaze starts to caramelize and turn a golden brown. It can be scored before cooking the ham or at the end of the cooking process, just before adding the glaze. Use your knife to cut through the seams—the lines that radiate out from the ham bone. If you have one with a moat, groove around the edge to catch juices, you’ll find it handy here. The rind and fat can be trimmed before cooking the ham or it can be trimmed at the end of cooking, just before glazing. The one you use every day will serve you just fine—no need for a special carving knife here. These juices should be drained off as they accumulate. Each score should be about 1/3" deep. Generally it is best to start out by microwaving at a defrost or medium-low setting for 2 or 3 minutes and then letting it stand for 2 minutes before checking progress. Add approximately one cup of water to the roasting pan. A chef’s knife, 8-10 inches. Fully Cooked Ham: A fully cooked ham is ready to eat and does not require cooking before eating. Letting the meat rest is important for two reasons. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Licensing. Plan ahead so that you will have adequate time to defrost the frozen ham using one of the methods above. If the ham is to be defrosted in the microwave, the ham should have the store wrapping and foam tray removed and then placed on a plate or tray and loosely wrapped with material suitable for the microwave. Using a sharp knife, make downward slices through the fat. The scores should extend all the way from top to bottom on each side of … Meat exposed to the water will result in flavor and color loss, and will have a greater chance of bacteria growth. The water should be changed every 30 minutes. Do not refreeze the meat that has been thawed using this method unless it has been cooked first. No one else has noticed that one gristly piece that made it on the platter or the less-than-piping-hot potatoes. Suck up the liquid in a baster or scoop it up with a spoon, and squirt or pour it over the hot ham before returning the ham to the oven. To trim before cooking: Hold the ham in place, standing upright, by holding on to the bone and applying pressure. Then, cut around the bone. Score the ham by making diagonal cuts in the fat along the sides of the ham at approximately 1 inch intervals. With a dry-cured country ham, preparation involves soaking the ham to reduce the saltiness. If your ham is too salty, dilution is a great way to remove some of the salty flavor. With that, your ham should fall into beautiful slices. Cut slices from bone-in portion, cutting away from bone. Now, keep that meat warm during the resting period by covering with aluminum foil. Arrange the ham on your board so the pre-cut side is down. If possible, you will want to desalt the ham before you cook it. Two days before you are going to serve the ham, place it in a large pan. Place boneless side of ham, fat side up, and cut into slices. Good! These preparation steps are taken to produce a flavorful moist ham to serve family and friends on Easter, Christmas, or any special occasion. Most dry-cured country hams form a mold on their outer surface because of the long curing and drying process of these uncooked hams. Approximate Thawing Times: 4 to 6 hours per pound. If the ham is very salty, there will be salt crystals visible on the ham and the water should be changed every 4 to 6 hours and may be soaked up to 72 hours. Continue to trim around the entire surface of the ham until all the rind is trimmed off and the layer of fat is the desired thickness. Twenty to thirty minutes before the end of cooking time, brush with the glaze of your choice – a mixture of maple syrup and coarse-grain mustard is good.