Baked Ham Recipes

Baked ham recipes, either fully cooked hams or picnic hams are cooked according to a general timetable. A cooked before eating ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160F degrees or a picnic to 170F degrees.

What is the difference between a ham and a picnic ham? Hams are normally taken from the pig’s hind legs. Picnic hams are taken from the front legs and shoulder (often called pork shoulder) area where the meat is slightly tougher requiring more time to cook.  This is an American idea very popular for outdoor summer barbeques or “picnics”.


I usually prepare my baked ham recipes in an oven temperature of 325F degrees. For a whole ham of 10 to 14 hours plan about 3 to 4 ½ hours to bake; 5 to 7 pounds about 1 ¾ to 2 ½ hours. A 5 to 8 pounds of a shoulder picnic ham will take 2 ½ To 4 hours to reach an internal temperature of 170F degrees. Plan to have the meat finished baking about fifteen minutes before serving; this allows a time to set to make slicing easier.

If a glaze is included in your baked ham recipes, score the top of the ham in diamond pattern. Begin brushing or glazing about 30 minutes before the end of baking. (Depending on what type of ham and what type of glaze I am using, but sometimes I baste the ham every 15 minutes during the entire baking time. This makes a nice glaze and a pretty presentation.)

COCO-COLA HAM

• 12 to 15 Pound boneless ham
• 1 ½ Cups brown sugar
• 2 Teaspoons dry mustard
• ½ Cup fine bread crumbs
• 12 Ounces Coco-Cola
• Cloves

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Cook ham according to package directions until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F degrees (for a cook-before-eating ham) on a meat thermometer. On a ready-to-eat ham cook to a temperature of 140F degrees.

Pull the skin off and cover the top of ham with a mixture of the brown sugar, mustard and bread crumbs. Score the ham in diamond shapes and stud it with cloves. Pour the Cocoa-Cola around the ham, cover and bake about 35 minutes, basting frequently with the liquid.

The following is one of the ham recipes for a Virginia ham. Follow the directions on the ham or on (COOKING HAM INSTRUCTIONS) in preparing the Virginia ham prior to baking.

BAKED VIRGINIA HAM

• 10-12 Pound Virginia ham
• Whole cloves
• 1 Cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
• 1 Teaspoon dry mustard
• 3 Tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

After simmering the ham and letting it cool, cut fat into a diamond pattern. Do not cut into the ham. Insert a clove into each diamond. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Baked uncovered for 2 ½ hours.

Combine the sugar, dry mustard, pineapple juice and vinegar. Spread mixture over the ham. Bake 15 minutes longer or until internal temperature is 155F degrees. (Test temperature with thermometer away from the bone.)

More Delicious Recipes for Pork

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