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All you good cooks, help a friend out~ your best Ham recipe please!

Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

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Okay, I like ham...........but I don't like the sweet, clove imbibed glaze that makes your holiday ham taste more like a dessert than main dish. Well~ I have company coming for the Holiday and I bought a 23 pound Turkey, but thats just not going to be enough for 17 fat people...............so I bought a ham.

NOW WHAT?!?!?

I amke BAD, DRY, nasty ham. Apparently a glaze keeps the ham from being dry and nasty? But is their a glaze that is not so outragously sweet that it drowns the taste of the meat? Or is there some other "Trick" to getting a moist delicious Ham?

Little help here please!!

And if anyone needs a FANTASTIC recipe for the BEST holdiay Turkey~ let me know. I've found a fantastic turkey recipe that has come out PERFECT every time for over 4 years now!!!
 
instead of a brown sugar glaze you can use pineapple and the juices .. stick the pineapple to the outside of the ham with a tooth pick and.. as the ham is cooking continue to baste the ham in the natural pineaaple juices... dont get the sugar added stuff. make sure also that the fattiest side of the ham is up... so the fat drains down and keeps your proker from drying out
 
get the pine apple slices and put them all over the ham using tooth pics to hold them on the ham... i wanted to clarify that up..... also add the juices from the pineapple can over the ham at the begining and keep basting it periodically,,, it gives the ham a nice flavor... keeps it moist but with out all the super sweet brown sugarness
 
hmmmm...........how hot do you cook the ham?

I've been doing a fully cooked, shank half ham at 350F, covered with alunimum foil until internal temp reaches 140F. his usually takes about 20 min per pound. With a 10 # half ham this takes about 3 1/2 hours and is so dry I might as well serve ham jerky. I like the taste just fine (the few times I've tried "Glazing" I couldn't stand the taste of the outer 1/4 of the meat) but it is so dry it is outragous.

I'm thinking this has got to be a technique thing? Sugar can't be the only way to keep the ham moist. I can cook that entire 23 pound turkey in 3 1/2 hours ( I start at 500F) and it turns out nice and moist, so is the 20 min per pound on the ham what is drying it out? I've covered it trying to defeat the evaporation factor, but obviously this failed.
 
are you putting any liquid or water in the bottom of the pan? because this also gives it a steaming effect..... making it moister.....we cook ours at 300 until internal temps reach 140... my whole family has been in the resteraun for YEARS LOL so let me call one of my brothers to see what if anything else they can suggest and ill get back
 
Thanks Robin~ I really appreciate the help. I've not been adding liquid, maybe I should try that.

I've been in the process of perfecting other dishes on past holidays. Like I said, I make a killer Turkey, (so 350F is really the temp I need the ham to work at if at all possible as that is the temp my reliable turkey recipe is at for the longest) a few great side dishes and desserts to die for.......but I have the IN-LAWS coming for the holiday, and have to stand up to the rep I've built as a good cook~ I AM a good cook~ but my Ham and my stuffing leave a bit to be desired~ the Ham is worse than the stuffing (okay~ I don't like stuffing~ so I have no idea if my stuffing sucks or not~ it's all nasty to me!!! I don't like SAGE)

I am very lucky, I have the NICEST in-laws I have ever heard of.......they are wonderfull people~ and they will compliment my cooking even if it sucks~ which makes it all that much more important to me that I actually impress them!

Thanks for the help~

And come on guys~ Robin can't be the only other good cook out there~ help me out guys!
 
The best Ham (and Turkey) I have ever made were made using the Reynolds Turkey bags and following the directions on the box. The box gives directions for both ham and Turkey, just follow the directions and you will have a yummy moist ham. Try the turkey their way too, it's yummy.

Heather
 
ok i talked to my brother.....
he says 350 is an okay heat.. but if you have the time that 300-325 is better because the higher the temps the more the ham will dry out if you have a meat thermometer no higher than 140 in the middle..... he said yes to put some water in the bottom of the pan and cover with foil....make sure all of the water doesnt evaporate.... i would assume maybe a cup or so. he said pineapple and the pineapple jucies work well (natural juices not heavy suryp) or to cook the ham like stated above and after it has been fully rewarmed (because basicallt thats what your doing is remarming it) you can put a thin layer of honey over the ham... its not sweet like the mustard brown sugar stuff and gives it good taste.... he said as thin oir thick as you want of homey... and put the ham back in until the honey begins to carmelize or glaze over.... it doesnt have to get all burnt like or crusty

hope this helps
 
out of curiosity, what's that great turkey recipe of yours???

my family's all asian, and we've never had a good turkey until my boyfriend (he goes to culinary school) made thanksgiving dinner for us....i have never had a jucier, moister turkey (or chicken) in my life!!!

he's wondering what your recipe, so maybe you can swap and get some new ideas!

-Karin

(ooh, and the stuffing recipe would be nice too...he makes plain stuffing, bread, onions, beef...you know...)


anyone know a good CHICKEN (whole) recipe???
 
your boyfriend in Culinary school would know the Turkey Recipe. I brine it (salt water and herbs~simmered~ and ice, works through osmosis, cool food science stuff!) then I start the bird at a ripping 500F to seal. Then shield the breast, cook to 160F internal breast, let rest at least 30 min under foil. Beautiful!

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/SeasonMisc/Turkey/TurkeyTranscript.htm

The recipe is in there~ trust me, I know it's cheasy, but SO worth it. And it explains the science. Take it as a guidline. Doesn't have to be exact~ just basically.

I want the stuffing recipe too~ but I need the out of the bird stuffing recipe~
Stuffing is Evil~
Read the transcript

:D
 
do you like bread or cornbread dressing?? i have recipes for both hehehe.... i dont cook my dressing in the bird... i use just a pyrex or metal retangle pan.....easy stuff
 
brine is what he used too! except his recipe said to stick apples and oranges and aromates (sp?) inside the bird...no stuffing.

so who's got that chicken recipe for me??

-karin
 
One other quick sugguestion for a juicy ham

Before you stick your ham in the oven to cook, sear it first. You take a cast iron pan, or one with a thick bottom and heat it up really hot. Then you can add a little bit of oil and herbs if you want extra flavor. Then you place your ham on the pan and turn it till all the sides are seared brown. This creates a protective coating which keeps the moisture in. This can be tricky if you have a rather large ham though. I usually just cook for my hubby and I so I get a smaller ham.

If you don't want to have a lot of pan juices so that the bottom of your ham gets slightly soggy you can place a shallow pan on the bottom shelf of your oven with warm water in it. I first saw this on Martha Stewart and it works pretty darn well. You can add herbs or pineapple juices. I stick a couple sliced pears in the pan to add a slightly sweet flavor that isn't overwhelming because it isn't actually touching the ham.

Foil works good too, like someone mentioned those foil bags. Or you can just cover your ham in foil. This helps to keep the moisture in.

The big thing is to let your ham/turkey/meat rest for ten minutes before you slice it. If you slice it right away the moisture escapes right away. If you wait the moisture settles in the meat. (this tip curtoisy of my grannie)

Good luck! Hope it turns out.

(fyi, if you don't like stuffing in your turkey stick a couple apples and pears with some rosemary and/or thyme it will steam the inside of the turkey with yummy juices this is also good if you slice up the fruit and place it along with the herbs around your ham)
 
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