Have You Got Your Easter Ham Recipe Yet? Here Are 21 Delicious Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What is the best ham to buy for Easter? ›

Boneless Ham

Boneless hams are delicious and easy to prepare. These hams are pre-cooked, and they heat up more quickly than pre-cooked bone-in hams. Plus they can be easily sliced for quick service, so you can spend more time eating and less time carving.

Symbolism and Significance

Ham holds symbolic significance for many people during Easter. As a rich, indulgent meat, it can represent the celebration of new life and the end of the Lenten season, during which many Christians abstain from certain luxuries.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the ham on a rack in a large baking pan and add about 1/4- to 1/2 inch of water to the pan. If the ham is labeled "fully cooked" (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F.

You can use water, but if you want to add more flavor, you should use wine or beef, chicken, or vegetable stock. Most of this liquid will cook off, but your tinfoil cover will help your meat absorb those juices.

Bone-in ham

The bone provides the meat with better flavor and texture. As a bonus, the leftover bone is great for making soups and stews, like this Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup. Bone-in hams are sold as half hams.

A fully cooked, ready-to-eat ham (also referred to as a "city ham") can be sliced and served cold or at room temperature—there's no need to reheat it. A spiral-cut ham is delicious this way, whether eaten by the slice, tucked into biscuits, or in a grilled cheese sandwich.

A bone-in ham makes for a great visual presentation on the table, and is perfect for carving. And it's not just there for show — a ham bone is an excellent starter for flavorful soups and stocks. Boneless hams are easier to carve, and better suited for sandwiches. There's no real difference in flavor or texture.

It is only in Leviticus 11:7 that eating pork is forbidden to God's people for the very first time—“… and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.” This is where and when pork in all its forms (including ham, bacon, sausage, etc.)

Finally, the Code of Canon Law stipulates that we abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year “unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday” (#1251). This doesn't mean, of course, that we must eat meat on Easter Friday, but it does mean that some form of celebration is in order.

What not to eat on Easter Sunday? ›

For ages, Christians have avoided eating meat on Easter Sunday. Many individuals, devout or not, continue to eat solely fish on this day. Every year, millions of people around the world observe the tradition of eating fish on Easter.

Whether you are cooking a bone in or boneless ham, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Start by removing the packaging from the ham (and bone guard if you're cooking a bone in ham), and you can rinse the ham before cooking if desired.

Plan on baking your pre-cooked ham at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit, covered with foil, until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as recommended by the USDA. A pre-cooked 10-pound ham, bone-in will need about 2 1/2 hours.

Because most hams sold at grocery stores are smoked and fully cooked, they only require heating before eating. However, glazing a ham adds that special final touch if you want to wow your crowd with extra flavor and texture.

Compared with poultry and fish, pork products like ham are higher in iron, thiamine, and other B vitamins. Yet, pork may be lower in some nutrients than other red meats, such as beef (5). Ham also provides all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.

To reduce salt in cooked ham, you can try soaking it in cold water for a few hours. Alternatively, you can slice the ham thinly or use it in recipes with other low-sodium ingredients to balance the overall saltiness.

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.

Bake the ham in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 140°F, basting every 30 minutes with 1/2 cup of the glaze. Be sure to keep an eye on the ham, and cover it loosely with foil if it starts getting too dark.