Ree's Dr Pepper-Glazed Ham Is the Only Recipe You'll Need This Easter (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular ham for Easter? ›

What most American cooks procure for Easter dinner is a wet-cured, lightly smoked, prebaked ham, what neighborhood butchers called a city ham, when there were still neighborhood butchers. There is nothing particularly urban about city ham, the meat expert Bruce Aidells said, but the name took hold as shorthand.

You don't want to add it too early or the sugars in the glaze could cause it to burn, and you don't want to add it too late or you won't get that caramelized coating. I usually bake the ham for about 2 hours before adding some of the glaze. Then I'll pop it back in the oven for 20 minutes, add more glaze, and repeat.

Most cured hams (although not all), as well as cured and smoked hams come ready to eat. So, it's really up to you and depends on your taste if you prefer to eat it cold or heated through.

The story of Jamón Ibérico ham is steeped in mystery and romance. The ancient oak pastures of Spain, the noble black Ibérico pig, the mountain air which caresses each ham as it magically is transformed into one of the world's most exquisite foods - all play a part in this uniquely Spanish phenomenon.

The butt end is meatier and less fatty than the shank end but it has odd-shaped bones, making it trickier to free the slices. The shank end is slightly fattier but, with a simpler bone structure, is much easier to carve.

Cola adds caramel sweetness to a ham glaze and can stand up to other strong ingredients like bourbon and cloves. If you'd rather not cook with alcohol, use apple juice instead. Start with our Classic Cola-Glazed Ham recipe and give it your own spin, depending on the soda you're using.

Popular glaze ingredients for smoked ham include brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, and cloves, among others.

Put Liquid in Your Pan

The best way to keep your ham from drying out is to utilize the drippings that come in the package. Pour the juice from the package onto the ham. If there isn't a lot of juice in your package, you may want to add your own liquid.

If you don't cover your ham while cooking it will quickly dry out. Instead: Put some aluminum foil over your ham while it's cooking. It is recommended that the ham is covered for at least half of the cooking process and only removed during the last half when you glaze it.

The glaze should not be applied until the final hour to 30 minutes, in order to avoid burning the sugars. What you're going to do with the glaze ingredients is just combine most of them into a paste, and then apply it to the ham. After that, the heat in your oven will take care of everything.

Can you overcook a glazed ham? ›

Can you overcook a glazed ham? Yes, you can. Overcooked ham can become dry. Cook the ham for 1 hour at 200ºC or until warmed through, basting it every 15 minutes.

Baking the ham uncovered

Ham is best reheated low and slow, and heating it uncovered means that the moisture in the ham evaporates, leaving it dry and unappetizing. → Follow this tip: Place the ham cut-side down in a baking pan. Cover the ham with foil or use a baking bag to heat up the ham until it's time to glaze.

“Easter ham is as ubiquitous to the American table as Thanksgiving turkey, but it wasn't always,” Hopwood says. For many, lamb was the main protein at Easter and Passover tables. Still, serving ham was always a popular choice, for seasonal reasons.

Orange juice and ginger ale. These add flavor and sweetness, plus they tenderize the ham. Maple syrup, honey and brown sugar. All three work together to add a caramelized crust to the baked ham.

Ham is the most traditional Easter meat.

Whole hams have the advantage of being less prone to drying out when cooking, but to be honest, if you're careful about the way you cook it, a spiral-sliced ham will be just fine. I usually opt for spiral-cut hams.

Just like a pork tenderloin, “ham” refers to the cut of meat, rather than a style of preparation. A ham comes from the back thigh, or rump, of a pig. This tasty treat is a staple protein at Easter dinner.