Then there’s that dreaded spiral ham which has become overcooked, tough and salty in the oven. Why? Because people think they’re re-heating, as opposed to cooking raw meat, from scratch. The key error here: using high heat.
Pre-cut, pre-cooked spiral hams already have the most possible surface area open to your oven’s dry air. Cook them past 350 degrees and guess what? You’re not warming up inside. You’re drying out the outside. Fight the temptation to hurry things along. Slow cooking work. This prevents the roast from becoming dry and inedible.
How to Cook a Perfect Spiral Ham
Low-temp is also indicated on the time chart, between 275 and 300 degrees. That’s hot enough to penetrate the bone but not too hot to scorch your slices. The goal here is 140 degrees Fahrenheit for doneness. At that temperature, the ham will be safe yet still moist. There’s no reason to go any hotter; it will just dry out your meat. That’s why most hams taste like jerky: People rush it.
The ham must be tightly wrapped in foil. It’s important to make an airtight vapor barrier. Baking in dry air dries out the ham, instead we’re going to use the wet heat of steaming to cook the ham inside its own juices. Pouring some liquid into the pan will help further. Water, broth or apple cider can all work here. As the liquid warms up, it produce steam. That moisture maintains the environment and prevents slices from crisping up and curling.
A lot of folks don’t do this part, so their ham ends up looking dry mid-way through. They forgot the foil, and that’s where things start to go wrong.
Depending on weight, expect about ten minutes a pound, give or take. Nine pounds? It takes about an hour and a half. Rather than staring at the clock, use meat thermometer to test if it is cooked. Because it’s warm in the middle, that area take longer to come up to temperature. Twenty minutes into cooking, your ham’s temperature will rise gradually. It starts cold from the refrigerator and passes through the sixties and nineties before reaching finish line. Be patient. Trust the heat.
You must time the glaze right. Sugar can burn. Placing a sweet glaze on too soon will cause it to get black and bitter before inside is warmed through. Plan for the final fifteen minutes or so. Remove cover from ham; brush with maple or honey or brown sugar glaze; raise oven temp to 400 degrees. A quick blast of high heat caramelizes the top surface and gives it that all-important gloss.
Looks great; tastes even better. It’s the combination of the sweet crust and tender inside that makes this such a special dish.
When cooking your ham, don’t cut it up until completion. Leave it whole (on the bone), and warm it up. If you cut it up before heating it, all that yummy moisture and fat drip out into the pan. Once it’s in the oven, let it sit for 10-15 minutes after you take it out. Allow those delicious juices to spread throughout ham. Carve it along the existing spiral cuts. Toss the bone, this thing is full of flavor!; into some soup later.
You would of wasted time by letting the heat win, and your family will enjoy the tasty results: juicy ham. The steam is trapped. The sugar is golden. Meal accomplished.