
Boneless Ham: ½ pound per person (or less).When determining what size ham you need, plan on the following weights: This makes the ham easy to slice, but you’ll sacrifice flavor and the ham will have a somewhat unnatural shape. Boneless hams have had the leg bone removed and the muscle is pressed together. Bone-in hams have more flavor and although they are more difficult to carve, they make a better presentation on a table. Whether you choose a boneless or bone-in ham really comes down to personal preference, but I prefer a bone-in ham.
#Sous vide spiral sliced ham free#
Finally, look to make sure the pork is free of hormones. Physical smoking is more desirable, so check to make sure the label mentions smoking instead of listing “smoke” as an ingredient.ĥ. Smoke flavor can come from physically smoking the meat, or it can be added artificially with smoke flavor. Check for streaks of fat and marbling between the muscles.Ĥ. Fat is a good thing – it means the pork will be tender and flavorful. A darker pink color could mean a muscular, free-ranging pig OR could mean heavier smoke flavor.ģ. It doesn’t necessarily matter if the hue is light or dark, but it should be even. A good ham should have an even rosy color.
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There are few things to look for when you’re picking your ham out of a lineup.ġ. Spiral cut hams are obviously very easy to carve, but it is easier to dry out a spiral cut ham than a whole ham. Both shank and butt ends of ham can come whole or spiral cut. The butt or sirloin end of ham is more tender, has less fat, but is harder to carve because the aitchbone (pelvic bone) is still intact and you’ll have to cut around it. The shank end of ham, obviously the end closest to the hoof, tends to be less tender, has more fat and is easier to carve because there’s only one single bone to deal with. Ham comes in one of two different cuts – the shank end or the butt end. Once you’ve determined what type of ham you are going to get, you might have the chance to pick the cut of ham.

Fresh hams are completely raw and you can either roast it just as you would for any regular pork roast or you can cure it yourself. Some country hams are smoked and others are not, but they are all uncooked and you will need to cook them fully at home before serving. Country hams are dry-rubbed and then air-dried or cured for months. The second type of ham is called a country ham. It is fully cooked and all you have to do when you get it home is re-heat it properly. City ham is cured in saltwater for several days or weeks and then smoked. The first, and most common, is called a city ham. There are generally three types of ham that you can buy. Often, when you head to the grocery store or butcher to purchase a ham you just get what you’re offered, but it’s great if you know a little bit about what you’re looking for so that you can make an informed decision if given the chance. It is usually cured, which means it is preserved with sugar, salt, nitrates and/or smoke. So if you’re substituting it with fresh pineapples, make sure to taste and add a bit more sugar to balance the flavors.A ham is the rear leg of pork, all the way from the shank to the rump. Substitute with Fresh Pineapples: Canned pineapples are usually sweeter than fresh pineapples. Plus, you can use the leftover hambone to make soup! If you’re substituting with boneless ham, you may need to reduce the pressure cooking time for a few minutes.

Boneless Ham: The ham bone helps prevent the meat from drying out. If you’re using spiral ham, make sure to use a shorter reheating time.īone-in Ham vs. But since the ham is pre-sliced, it’s easier to dry out during the reheating process (especially for thinly-sliced spiral ham).

Spiral Ham: Spiral-sliced hams may be easier to cut and serve. You’ll end up with a more juicy, moist, and flavorful ham.Īs a reference, our bone-in, uncut ham was gigantic! It weighs 8.6 lbs and 7″ thick. Prepare ingredients for cooking ham in Instant Pot.įor this Ham Instant Pot recipe, try to use whole, bone-in, uncut ham because it’ll retain more moisture.
