Growing up, Baked ham was traditionally served at our house for special occasions like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
SPECIAL OCCASION BAKED HAM
My Mother-in-law always cooked her hams low and slow, and she never put a glaze on them. Instead, she used the ham juices to baste with.
Jim's Mother's recipe for baked ham was relatively easy and yielded an absolutely delicious result.
This is because she cooked her ham low and slow in the oven without adding a glaze, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth ham.
Her secret to cooking an amazing ham was to add water to the pan, cover it with foil, and baste it with the ham juices occasionally during cooking, approximately every 30 minutes.
Pure Deliciousness!
WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE? TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR SPECIAL OCCASION BAKED HAM
Below, under the next heading, I give a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Special Occasion Baked Ham and similar recipe ideas you can have.
Or you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with amounts of the ingredients and complete instructions with notes.
TIPS AND TIDBITS TO MAKE THE BEST SPECIAL OCCASION BAKED HAM
Ham is easy to cook. Here are some terrific tips to ensure your ham turns out superb.
- Let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours before baking. This will ensure the center of the ham is evenly cooked to the outside.
- Cook the ham using a low and slow method.
- Take your time cooking the ham. Remember, the ham is fully cooked when purchased, it is just being heated for serving.
- The rule of thumb is to cook the ham for 10 minutes per pound.
- While cooking the ham, cover it with foil until the last 30 minutes before placing it under the broiler to caramelize the outside.
- Let rest for 20 minutes before carving to let the juices distribute in the meat.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SPECIAL OCCASION BAKED HAM
6-7 lbs. smoked picnic shoulder ham
2 cups water
HOW TO MAKE SPECIAL OCCASION BAKED HAM
Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Line a roaster pan with foil and put in a small rack. Remove the wrapper from the ham. Rinse the ham in cold water to remove any salted water.
Cut away the tough rind on the ham, leaving at least 1/4 inch of the fat, which helps keep the meat from drying out as it cooks. Score the top and sides in a diamond pattern.
Place the ham in the roaster scored side up, cover it with foil, and pour water into the bottom of the pan. Baste with the pan juices every 30 to 40 minutes.
Bake for 2 1/2 hours or 15 minutes per pound. Uncover the ham and bake for 30 minutes to crisp up the outside. Baste with the pan juices every 15 minutes.
Place ham on a cutting board or serving platter and allow 20 minutes before carving.
