Roasted Fresh Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook a fresh ham Martha Stewart? ›

Set ham on a wire rack in pan. Bake, basting every hour, and covering with parchment-lined foil after 1 hour, until a thermometer inserted into bottom part (avoiding bone) reads 140 degrees, about 4 hours, 30 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound). Remove from oven; let rest 45 minutes.

Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

Hams can be fresh, cured or cured-and-smoked. The term ham refers to the cured leg of pork. A fresh ham would be an uncured leg of pork. The fresh ham will have the term “fresh” in the title of the product. The term fresh means that the product has not been cured in any process.

After choosing a pork roast (or several!) to make into ham, the first thing you need to do is brine the ham. Some people call this “curing” a ham — brining is a type of curing. To brine a ham is basically to wet cure a ham. Brining takes several days, and it's essential to the process of making a good ham.

Hams are either ready-to-eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto and cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams and hams that are only treated to destroy trichinae (which may include heating, freezing, or curing in the processing plant) must be cooked by the consumer before eating.

Cook the ham for about 20 minutes per pound, give or take a few minutes per pound. Some cooks also recommend cooking the ham in simmering water for 3 hours, then finishing in a 300-degree oven for another 2-3 hours. Both these methods — using lower heat and cooking in water — help it keep from drying out.

Is fresh ham the same as a pork roast? In short, no, it is not. Ham is made from the hind legs of the pork, and the pork shoulder corresponds to the front legs of the pig.

Heat oven to 325°F. Remove all packaging materials. Place ham, cut/flat side down, on rack in shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Heat approximately 18 to 23 minutes per pound until heated through.

Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes.

Uncured ham, also labeled as "fresh ham" is the same cut as cured ham.

Does fresh ham taste like ham? ›

A fresh ham, sometimes called a “green” ham, is pork at its most basic — not cured, not smoked, not cooked. The meat is so sweet and succulent, and the texture is meaty, not compact and slick as a cured ham often is.

Cured hams are also high in sodium, which could be a concern for those needing to watch their sodium intake. Uncured ham is often seen as the healthier alternative because of the more natural process by which it is cured and the lesser amount of sodium and calories.

Place kosher salt, brown sugar, pink salt, and pickling spice in a container large enough to hold brine and ham. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and pour over brine ingredients; whisk to dissolve. Pour in 1 gallon fresh cold water to cool down mixture.

Depending on how the ham was cured, it will most probably be necessary to soak the ham for 24 hours before baking it. This step isn't necessary when boiling a ham as the boiling process automatically removes any excess salt, but it is a foolish errand to bake a salt cured ham without soaking..

If necessary, soak the gammon (ham) in cold water to reduce saltiness, according to butcher or packet instructions (most do not need this anymore as curing methods have changed). Weigh to calculate the cooking time. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap ham completely with parchment-lined foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Transfer ham to oven and bake 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap ham; discard parchment and foil.

Bake an uncooked ham at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit, covered, until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees. An uncooked 10-pound ham, bone-in will need about 3 hours.

To heat your ham, simply place it flat-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet, wrap with foil and cook at 325°F for 10-12 minutes per pound. Then, voila!