Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American


    These hams are delicious cold, but if you want to reheat them, the instructions are often on the package. Place the ham, cut-side-down, on heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap the ham thoroughly. Or use an oven roasting bag; follow instructions on the bag for preparation. Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 10-14 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer registers 135F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. If the ham came with extra glaze, follow the package directions for adding it and cooking the glaze. To glaze this type of ham, turn the oven to 400F, brush the ham with the glaze, and bake for 10-15 minutes until the glaze is browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
    Hams emerge very moist and tender from the slow cooker. Make sure that the ham will fit into your slow cooker. Place the ham in the appliance and add the glaze ingredients. You can also just add some coke or Pepsi, chicken broth, or water; about 1 cup will do it. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours, until ham is thoroughly heated. If you want to glaze the ham, place on a broiler pan and cover with glaze; broil 10" from the heat for 10-15 minutes, watching carefully, until glaze is cooked.
    The goal is to reheat the ham without drying it out. The best way to do this is to place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake at 325F for 16-20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 135F. Unwrap the ham and apply the glaze; increase the heat to 400F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer until the glaze is burnished.
    It's difficult to grill a whole or half ham because the method uses such dry high heat. Ham steaks or slices, however, can be wonderful grilled. If you do want to grill a large ham, use the indirect cooking method and make sure that the coals burn down to a gray ash coating before you add the ham. You do have to carefully read the label of the ham you purchase to make sure you prepare it properly. In this case, you are just reheating the ham, and the most important consideration is to make sure it doesn't dry out.
    Glazes, of course, add more flavors to ham and make the meat look gorgeous too. Glazes can range from a simple brush of maple syrup to complicated mixtures made of sugars and seasonings. They should be added during the last 20-30 minutes of heating time so they do not burn. If you'd like, you can score the ham surface and insert whole cloves in each