Ham has been the main dish of holiday meals for a very long time, all the way back to ancient Germanic times and up to the 19th century in Britain. And families today are still choosing this popular main feature to feed their holiday crowds. In fact, according to a survey on the most popular Christmas dishes, 62% of Americans choose ham, ranking it #11 on the list of most popular holiday dishes.
On its own, ham is a very flavorful meat, and it goes well with a lot of different side dishes. It’s versatile, allowing home cooks to use glazes, spices, and rubs of all kinds. Many families use ham as the second protein even if it is not the main course. Even better, ham can make a lot of meat for a lot of people. It also stores well and can be eaten as leftovers.
You’ve decided to serve ham this holiday season. This guide will help you choose the right ham for your needs, tastes, and the number of people you’ll be having over. Table of Contents.
What Does Shankless Ham Mean? A Detailed Guide to Understanding Shankless Hams
A shankless ham is a specific type of ham that has had the shank bone removed before being sold. The shank is the lower portion of a ham near the hoof, containing little meat. Removing this bone makes the ham easier to carve and serve. However, there is some debate over whether keeping the shank bone improves flavor. Let’s explore shankless hams in more depth.
What is a Ham?
First, a quick ham overview. A ham is a cut of meat from the hind leg of a pig. Hams are available fresh or cured with some type of salt smoke, and/or aging. The two main types are
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Wet-cured ham – Submerged in a salty brine solution. May also be smoked Most supermarket hams are wet-cured
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Dry-cured ham – Rubbed with salt, then sometimes smoked and aged. Includes Spanish prosciutto and American country hams.
Bone-In vs Boneless Hams
Hams come both bone-in and boneless. Bone-in hams have more flavor but boneless hams are easier to carve.
Shank Portion vs Butt Portion
A whole bone-in ham contains two sections – the shank end and the butt end. The shank is the lower part near the hoof. It has little meat and only one bone. The butt end contains more meat and fat.
What is a Shankless Ham?
A shankless ham has had the shank bone removed before sale. Without this bone, the ham is easier to carve and serve. Slicing is simpler and portions come out more even.
The shank bone does not impart much ham flavor. Most of the flavor comes from the femoral bone in the butt. However, some argue the shank bone adds subtle flavors during cooking.
Advantages of a Shankless Ham:
- Easier slicing and carving
- More even portions
- Better meat to bone ratio
- Easier packing and transportation
Disadvantages of a Shankless Ham:
- Potential small loss of flavor from the bone
- Less attractive presentation with exposed cross-section
A shankless ham is ideal when ease of serving is more important than appearance. The exposed cross-section looks less rustic than a whole ham. But the convenience may outweigh aesthetics for large gatherings.
How to Choose a Shankless Ham
When selecting a shankless ham, choose based on:
- Weight – Estimate 1/3 to 1/2 lb per person.
- Packaging – Pick ones sealed in natural juices over added water.
- Labeling – Read labels to understand curing method and ingredients.
- Fat Cap – Some fat protects meat during cooking but avoid very thick layers.
- Mold – Sign of dry-curing but ensure it’s surface mold only.
- Expiration – Pick the latest sell-by date you can find.
Shankless hams sold at major stores like Kroger, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart are wet-cured and precooked. High-end gourmet shops may have dry-cured options. Prices range from $2-4 per pound on the low end to $15+ for imported Serrano ham.
How to Cook a Shankless Ham
A wet-cured shankless ham just needs reheating while a dry-cured one requires full cooking. Follow package instructions but here are general guidelines:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place ham cut-side down in a roasting pan. You can add apples, pineapple, etc. for flavor.
- Bake 20-25 minutes per pound until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
- Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
The simplest option is just baking plain. But you can glaze, stud with cloves, or top with brown sugar. Serve with traditional sides like scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs, and biscuits.
Leftover shankless ham keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. Slice and freeze portions for longer storage. It’s excellent in scrambled eggs, soup, casseroles, and more.
The Convenience of Shankless Hams
While some traditional cooks insist on intact hams with the shank bone, shankless hams offer simpler serving for large gatherings. Removing this extra bone means easier carving, quicker cooking, and less waste. For hosts short on time, shankless hams provide convenience without much compromise on flavor. Understanding the options helps you pick the right ham for your needs.
Cured vs. Uncured Holiday Hams
Since ham provides so much versatility, butchers have found myriad ways to prepare it prior to your purchase. Curing and aging are two processes that can significantly change the flavor of ham.
When meat is cured, it is covered in a solution that may contain acid, salt, sugar, or other food preservatives that also help get rid of extra water. After being cured, these meats are hung to dry in places where the temperature and humidity are controlled for days, months, or even years. The aging process allows for extra flavor concentration.
A lot of meat products, like bacon and sausage, are cured, either with natural or artificial ingredients. For example, uncured hams are still cured before they are packed, but they are cured with natural ingredients like sea salt and cultured celery powder. Coleman Natural has a variety of uncured hams to choose from. We always use natural curing ingredients and never added artificial preservatives like nitrates and nitrites.
City hams are the most commonly found hams at the grocery store. They are already cooked, so all you have to do to make them hot (140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit) when you’re ready to eat them. City hams are usually wet-cured, which means they have been cured with the same spices and preservatives as traditional hams, but they are mixed into a brine and then injected into the meat. Some are placed in a saltwater solution for an extended period instead. There are different ham muscles and fillers that can be used to press and shape a city ham. Be sure to read the ingredients carefully.
Fresh hams are specialty cut and must be bought from a butcher. Typically they are only available around the holidays at your local grocer unless they are special ordered. Since they aren’t cooked or cured, you need to be very skilled to handle, prepare, and cook this raw meat to the right internal temperature. Be sure to purchase fresh hams from a reputable source.
Country hams are another option, but very different from city hams or fresh hams. Country hams are salt cured for several months and are a staple in certain southeastern states. They tend to be a very salty ham because of the curing process. Because of this, country ham is known for having a stronger salty flavor, which may be great for cooks who want that umami flavor. Country hams are aged anywhere from several months to a few years. Because they are cured, they won’t go bad on the shelf and will be displayed at your grocery store without being refrigerated.
When you’re looking for the perfect ham for your event, consider the cut. There are two parts to a whole ham: the shank, which is the lower leg, and the butt, which is the upper leg and shoulder. But a whole ham is pretty big. If you only need to feed a few people, you might want to get a half ham instead.
Half hams include one or the other — the shank or butt. This is why you’ll see half hams of differing sizes and shapes when scanning the grocery aisle. A shank is considered more aesthetically pleasing, giving your ham that classic “holiday centerpiece” look. It has a little more fat, but is easy for carving. A butt tends to be leaner, so it’s not quite as plump. Half hams that include the butt are smaller than those from the shank. They can be slightly more difficult to carve, but can ultimately yield more servings. Some grocery stores will charge a little more for the butt, but the extra meat yield may make it worth it.
So now that you’ve got the cuts and the curing down, it’s time to focus on quality. Two primary indicators when shopping for high-quality ham are freshness and color. The very first thing to look for is the “Sell by” date. You can use the rule “the later the date, the fresher the ham” to choose a ham. ”.
Color will vary depending on how the ham is prepared prior to packaging. Ham that has been cured is usually a dark rose or pink color. Ham that has not been cured is a paler pink or beige color. Country hams might range anywhere from dark red to mahogany.
There’s one more indicator to be aware of when you’re shopping for the perfect ham: its water content. Remember that brine is often injected into hams during the wet-curing process. But extra water may be added to keep costs down and make the product heavier for shipping, so you end up with less meat. This can be scary for customers, but the label can help you find any problems because hams have to be labeled differently depending on how much water they contain.
Example calculation for boneless ham
- 10 adults x ½ lb. of ham each = 5 pounds of ham.
- 8 small kids x ¼ lb. of ham each = 2 pounds of ham.
- 3 big-appetite teens or adults x ¾ lb. of ham each = 2 ¼ pounds of ham.
Whatever size ham you select, make sure you refrigerate it within two hours of bringing it home to avoid bacteria growth and potential spoilage. Be sure to check the expiration date and if you are not going to use it prior to that time, it’s okay to freeze the ham.
Huge Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Ham
What is a ham shank?
Imagine where the “hams” are at the top of your own legs, it’s the same. WHOLE HAM – A whole ham will typically weigh 18 to 20 pounds and includes both the “butt” end and the “shank” end. The “butt end” is the upper part of the ham, more “rump” and thus more fatty. The “shank end” is the lower end, more leg and less fatty.
What is the difference between a butt and a shank Ham?
The “butt end” is the upper part of the ham, more “rump” and thus more fatty. The “shank end” is the lower end, more leg and less fatty. The shank end has just one bone so is easier to slice. When I cooked half a ham recently, a nine-pound bone-in, shank-end ham yielded nearly eight pounds of cooked ham meat.
Are hickory wood smoked skinless shankless hams good?
Our hickory wood smoked skinless shankless hams are flavorful and juicy! We take pride in the quality of our bone in hams and never use any fillers or binders. We slowly smoke our country hams over natural hickory wood smoke for an exceptional flavor. John F. Martin hams can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
What is a boneless ham?
A boneless ham is just that: a ham from which the bone has been removed, after which the ham is tightly pressed into an oval-shaped package. Salt will break down some of the proteins in meat muscle, allowing them to reconnect and link with each other.