How To Cook Uncured Ham

Updated on November 20th, 2023

Uncured ham has a negative reputation in the health business as yet another product label to keep an eye on. Uncured ham, however, is basically ham that has not been infused with the same chemical brine, smoke, or flavorings as cured ham. When cooked properly, it yields such delectable ham delicacies.

In this article, we’ll teach you all the best practices to engage in when cooking uncured ham, such that at the end of your culinary adventures, you’ll be left with delicious uncured ham that you and your family won’t be able to to to stop gulping down.

Ham Nutrition Facts

Tips for Cooking Uncured Ham

Is uncured ham safe to eat? – Many people ask if the uncured ham is still safe to consume because of its labeling. Uncured ham, despite its name, is cured, albeit in a more natural fashion. Except otherwise noted, most uncured beef has been thoroughly cooked before being delivered to the consumers.

All you have to do is pop the ham in the oven, heat it to your preferred temperature, serve, and enjoy. In fact, most people consider uncured hams to be a healthier alternative to cured hams. Many are labeled organic or natural, which means they don’t contain the synthetic nitrates in many cured hams.

Cooking Uncured Ham

Uncured ham recipes are easy-to-make and don’t be surprised when they find their way more often to your holiday tables as soon as you’re confident that you can make them easily.

Below, an excellent method for cooking fresh uncured ham is described:

Ingredients

• 1 fresh ham, about 14 to 16 pounds
• 1 head of roasted garlic, pulled apart, with cloves mashed
• 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade

Instructions

• Take the ham out of the fridge an hour before you start and allow it to get to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Score the skin in a 1-inch diamond pattern if you can.
• Rub the roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper into the meat with a mortar and pestle.
• Place the ham skin side down in a roasting pan and cook for 1 hour. Turn the skin side up and roast for another 30 minutes, basting with the fat every 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest section registers 160°F.
• Take the pan out of the oven and set it aside for 30 minutes, covered in foil. The internal temperature of the pork should finally reach 170°F, which is said to be the magic temperature. Some people claim that the ham is more tender at this temperature than at 160°F.
• Remove the fat from the pan, place it in a fat separator, and return 4 tablespoons to the pan. (As an alternative, you could remove everything but 4 tablespoons of grease from the pan.) Place the roasting pan on the burner over medium heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons flour or 4 if you prefer a thicker gravy.
• Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Scrape up all those delicious browned bits on the bottom of the pan as you add the stock, a little at a time. Cook, constantly stirring until the sauce has thickened.
• Keep the gravy warm by straining it into a saucepan. If the fat separator has any juice, feel free to add it into the gravy.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the ham into thin slices. Serve with gravy on the side.

Cooking Time for Uncured Ham

Follow these timing guidelines when cooking with uncured ham:

Fresh Ham With Maple-Balsamic Glaze (10 to 12 Servings)

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• Author: Bobby

Ingredients

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• 1 butt or shank portion fresh ham, 10- to 12-pounds, with skin on
• 4 teaspoons of kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 1 cup of maple syrup
• ½ cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
• ½ cup of toasted pecans
• ½ cup of candied ginger

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Score the entire surface of the ham in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife; ensure that you’re cutting just through the skin to the meat underneath. (The skin will stretch out a little as you cut if you’re cutting to the appropriate depth.)
2. Rub salt and pepper all over the outside of the ham, pressing it into the crosshatch areas between the skin. In a big roasting pan, set the roast on a rack and bake it.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees after 20 minutes. Whisk together the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and cinnamon in a small basin.
4. Baste the hamper hour using the mixture, along with fat from the bottom of the pan. Keep roasting the ham until its very center registers 145 degrees as its internal temperature, this should take a total cooking time of about 2½ to 3 hours. (Check after 2 hours by placing a meat thermometer into the roast’s absolute center.)
5. In a food processor, blend the toasted pecans and candied ginger until they get crushed and well mixed.
6. Remove the ham from the roasting pan, sprinkle it with the pecan-ginger mixture, and cover it loosely with foil when it’s done. Leave the meat for 20 to 30 minutes for it to rest. (As it rests, its internal temperature will climb to 150°F or more.)
7. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat, tilting it to the side so you can scoop off all of the fat from the pan juices. Scrape any browned parts from the bottom of the pan, skim any film from the surface, and season the liquid with salt and pepper as needed. Pour the gravy into a gravy boat.
8. Carve the ham into thick slices, drizzle some of the pan sauce over them, and serve with the rest of the sauce on the side.

This uncured ham recipe tastes so delicious when it is fully cooked, and it’s a great way to impress when you have guests around. If you’d like more recipe ideas for uncured ham, then check out this video recipe.