Easter Ham Can Be Simple or Fancy

"Eternity is two people and a ham," wrote Irma S. Rombauer in the original Joy of Cooking. Rombauer made that observation in the 1930s when hams were available in one size: big. At the time, they weighed in at 15 to 20 pounds, which would make about 30 servings. Fortunately, hams available to consumers have changed quite a bit since then.

"Today you can find delicious, juicy hams in any size from a pound or two to 20 pounds," says Ceci Snyder of the Pork Information Bureau in Des Moines, Iowa. "That makes them much easier for the home cook to handle and it gives the consumer far more choices."

The customary Easter ham, which makes an appropriately festive centerpiece, is remarkably easy to prepare. If you are short of time, all you really need to do is place it in a 325-degree oven for an hour or two and you'll have a moist and tasty main dish.

Perhaps the only challenge to cooking a ham is buying the right one to suit your needs. There are many types, brands and price ranges to choose from. Here's a short course in ham-ology:

The first decision you need to make is if you want a ham with a bone or one without.

"A boneless or canned ham will give you four to five servings per pound," says Snyder. "With bone-in hams, figure two to three servings per pound." Of course, if you want leftovers, plan accordingly.

The benefit to a boneless ham is that it is easier to slice. Canned hams are boneless. Bone-in hams may be sold as whole hams, shank and rump halves, shank and rump (butt) portions and center slices. Bone-in hams in general cook a little faster than the boneless varieties.

The flavor of the ham depends on several factors, the most important being how the ham was cured. Some are sweet, others more smoky and savory. The butcher can give you a good description of the various flavors.

There are three types of American hams:

• Wet-cured, sometimes called a city ham, is America's most popular ham, the kind that's pink, moist and sweet.
• Country hams are dry-cured in salt and/or brown sugar or honey. They are also smoked on hardwood fires and aged for added flavor. These types tend to be salty. Sometimes the cooking instructions indicate that they need to be scrubbed or soaked before they are heated to remove some of the salt flavor. Examples of country-style hams are Virginia, Smithfield and Kentucky.
• Fresh hams are not cured and need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Most hams sold in supermarkets are precooked and need only to be heated to a serving temperature of 140 degrees - about 15 to 20 minutes per pound in a 325-degree oven. Hams labeled "cook before serving" need to be heated to an internal temperature of 160 degrees - about 30 minutes per pound. Some smoked hams are not precooked, so check the label. If you are not sure, assume that the ham is not precooked and heat it to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

If you want to get fancy, you can glaze the ham during the last half-hour of roasting, but even that step is optional, Snyder says. Of course, if you want to dazzle your family, you will probably want to dress up the ham with a tasty glaze or even some decorating, such as studding the ham with whole cloves or encrusting it with pecans. If you decide to glaze the ham, wait until the last 20 or 30 minutes of roasting, and then brush generous portions of the glaze over the surface. The glaze can be a simple mixture of mustard and brown sugar or orange marmalade. Or a glaze can be a delicate blend of peach chutney with fresh ginger. If you have any leftover glaze, it can be spooned over the ham as it is served.