Knowing how to cook a ham properly is a great culinary technique to have up your sleeve. There’s nothing hard about baking a ham. Just follow this step-by-step guide for what to do and what not to do.
Bertocchi bone-in hams are a staple on many holiday tables, but cooking them off the bone requires some special techniques. With the right preparation and cooking methods, you can achieve a flavorful, moist bertocchi boneless ham worthy of any festive occasion. This step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know for holiday ham success.
Benefits of Cooking Boneless
Cooking your bertocchi ham off the bone provides several advantages:
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Easier carving and serving – With no bone, slicing neat portions is much simpler.
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More uniform cooking – Boneless hams cook more evenly since the bone doesn’t shield meat
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Easier prep – No need to wrestle with peeling off skin or cutting around bone
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Leaner and healthier – Removing bone and some fat reduces fat and calorie content.
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More flavor options – Boneless hams like more seasoning since bone doesn’t impart as much flavor.
With proper preparation and cooking, your boneless bertocchi ham can turn out juicier and more delicious than bone-in.
Selecting and Preparing a Boneless Ham
Choosing the right boneless ham is the first step:
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Pick a fully cooked, cured ham – Look for “fully cooked” on the label for safety and convenience.
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Get a bertocchi brand ham – Their decades of ham expertise means moist, flavorful meat.
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Choose based on weight – Estimate 3/4 lb per person, adjusting for leftovers.
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Look for uniform shape – Avoid hams with irregular thick/thin sections.
Once home, prepare your ham:
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Unwrap completely and rinse under cool water to remove excess salt.
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Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels to allow glaze to adhere.
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Score the fat layer in a diamond pattern for seasoning penetration.
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Stud with whole cloves in the scoring pattern for seasoning and decoration
Your ham is now ready for a delicious glaze.
Whip Up a Sweet and Savory Glaze
Glazing imparts tons of flavor and color to your ham. Try this easy homemade glaze:
Ingredients:
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1/2 cup brown sugar
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1/4 cup honey
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1/4 cup maple syrup
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2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon cloves
Directions
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Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
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Heat on medium, stirring frequently, until blended and slightly thickened.
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Cool glaze slightly before brushing onto ham.
The sweet and savory glaze adds a touch of holiday spice to your ham. Apply a few coats during baking for delicious flavor.
Cook Low and Slow for Maximum Juiciness
Cooking your boneless ham low and slow is vital for keeping it tender and moist:
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Preheat oven to 325°F to ensure gentle, even heating.
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Use a rimmed baking sheet for easy rotation and glaze collection.
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Bake ham uncovered – no need to trap moisture like bone-in versions.
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Brush with glaze periodically during baking, reheating glaze between coats.
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Cook approximately 18-20 minutes per pound until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
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Allow ham to rest 15 minutes before carving for juices to reabsorb.
With this gentle roasting method, your ham stays succulent and full of flavor.
Step-By-Step Roasting Directions
Follow these simple steps for roasting bertocchi boneless ham to perfection:
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
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Place ham flat-side down on prepared pan. Score fat layer in diamond pattern.
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Brush ham all over with a thin layer of glaze. Insert whole cloves into scoring.
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Roast ham 18-20 minutes per pound, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes.
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Use an instant read thermometer to check temperature, until 140°F is reached.
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Remove ham from oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest 15 minutes.
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Slice ham across the grain into portions. Serve warm with extra glaze.
This easy oven method delivers a moist and tender boneless ham the whole family will love.
Carving and Serving Your Boneless Ham
Carving and serving your beautifully bronzed bertocchi boneless ham is a cinch:
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Let ham rest 15 minutes before carving for easier slicing.
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Use a sharp chef’s knife or ham slicer to cut thin, even slices.
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Cut perpendicular across the grain for tenderness.
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Arrange overlapping slices on a decorative platter for a stunning presentation.
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Garnish with pineapple rings, maraschino cherries or fresh herb sprigs.
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Pass additional glaze in a bowl for guests to add more sweet, savory flavor.
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Refrigerate carved leftovers within 2 hours and enjoy within 4 days.
Your perfectly cooked boneless ham is sure to be the star attraction at any holiday celebration!
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Avoid these potential pitfalls when cooking your bertocchi boneless ham:
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Dry or tough texture – Cook at a lower temp (300-325°F), and not beyond 140°F internal temperature.
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Not enough flavor – Be generous with glaze application and seasonings. Use a bold glaze with spices, fruit and acidity.
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Fat not browning – Increase oven temp to 350°F and use convection setting if possible.
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Bland taste – Look for a cured, fully cooked ham that’s been pre-seasoned.
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Too salty – Opt for lower sodium ham and ask the retailer for a less salty brand.
With proper selection, preparation, glazing and roasting, your boneless bertocchi ham will turn out perfect every time.
Favorite Ways to Use Leftover Ham
Boneless hams yield lots of tasty leftovers. Here are some delicious ways to use them up:
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Dice and add to scrambled eggs, omelets or quiche.
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Toss with pasta, veggies and a creamy sauce for ham pasta salad.
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Layer on sandwiches and paninis with cheese, pickles and mustard.
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Chop and add to mac and cheese or potato casseroles for extra flavor.
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Dice for ham fried rice, or add to beans for flavorful ham and bean soup.
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Enjoy on pizza, nachos or baked potatoes for hearty ham toppings.
With a little creativity, you can reinvent those delicious bertocchi boneless ham leftovers into lots of easy meals.
Make Your Holiday Feast Effortless with Boneless Ham
Follow this complete roast and carving guide for a holiday centerpiece ham that’s juicy, glazed, and sure to wow your guests. With flavorful glaze options, proper gentle roasting, and easy no-bone carving, your bertocchi boneless ham will be the star of your festive meal.
Side Dishes & Sauces
When thinking about what sauce to serve with your ham, think about the glaze you have used. Choose something that compliments those flavours. I like to have two kinds of sauce: one with a lot of heat or alcohol and one that isn’t as strong.
- Cranberry Sauce
- Honey Mustard, Grainy Mustard, Dijon etc
- Apples Sauce
- Carrot and Zucchini Pickles
- Pineapple chutney
- Chilli Plum Sauce
- Red Currant Sauce
The ham is the star of the show, and the side dishes you pick will set the mood for the whole meal. Fresh and light sides for a lighter summery feel, or heavier baked sides for a comfort meal.
In the fridge, glazed ham will stay safe for a week. You can also freeze it for up to three months. It is best to keep the ham on the bone and then carve as desired.
I dont store glazed hams in a ham bag. Ham bags are best for hams that havent gone through the glazing and cooking process.
How do I deal with my excess ham? In a couple of ways. I cut up a good amount and put it in a vacuum-sealed container so that my family can use it for sandwiches and other things. I find if I don’t slice it and make it easy for them, it does not get eaten.
You can also cut off large chunks of leftover ham from the bone. Place in a vacuum-sealed bag for later, or freeze. Yes, you can freeze cooked ham.
Another suggestion is to finely dice the ham and freeze it in ½ cup portions. After that, it will be easy to thaw and use for eggs, soup, quiches, frittatas, omelettes, jaffles, and more!
Dont discard the ham bone. This can be used to make soup. It can be frozen for later use.
What ham should I buy?
It’s important to know that all of the hams I’m talking about are already cooked and ready to eat.
It’s not raw ham, also called gammon, which has been cured and smoked but still needs to be cooked right. Nor (for my USA readers) country ham.
Let’s talk about how to cook a ham. All of the times and steps are for hams that have already been cooked and are ready to eat. My personal choice of ham is semi-boneless. I like the look and convenience of the bone when carving.
- Bone-in: A whole ham that is still on the bone. The hock is at one end of the classic large showstopper, and the ham leg spreads out into an oval shape.
- Half Ham: A bone-in ham cut in half. It is the leaner and more tender half of a whole ham. The top half is called the butt. The shank is the bottom half. It tastes better but is fattier.
- Semi-Boneless: All the bones are taken out except for the central bone, which is the hock or shank part. This type of ham is also called Easy Carve Ham. That classic ham shape comes from the way the meat is formed around the bone. Having the bone still there makes it easier to carve.
- Ham that doesn’t have any bones: The meat is shaped into a round, oval, or log shape after the bones are taken out. Some people think they’re not as stylish as a traditional bone-in ham, but you’re getting 10% more meat for your money. Not the perfect choice for glazing, but they can be.
- Shoulder hams with a crackle crust are meant to be baked without a glaze. It makes crackling just like a regular pork roast, even though the rind is still on the ham.
- Spiral Cut Ham: We don’t have this in Australia, but people from the United States would know what it is. Spiral cut ham is a bone-in ham that has been cut all the way around, from the outside to the bone. It’s kind of like a ham slinky where the bone keeps the whole thing together in its shaped. You don’t have to carve the ham; just cut it into slices. Im sure this will turn up in Australia one day.
- Smoked or Unsmoked: This is up to your personal taste. It comes either not smoked or smoked, and ham with more smoke is often called “triple smoked.”
Buy a ham that is the right size for the amount of people you are feeding. Of course factor in for some to be leftover and enjoyed after the event.
The bone-in ham sizes listed below will help you figure out how much food to serve your guests.
3 kg (6. 6 lb): 10-14 serves 4 kg (8. 8 lb): 12-16 serves 5 kg (11 lb): 15-20 serves 6 kg (13. 2 lb): 18-22 serves 7 kg (15. 4 lb): 20-25 serves 8 kg (17. 6 lb): 23-27 serves.
**Lower number if ham is the only main dish; higher number if ham is served with one or two other main dishes
Using a small sharp knife cut a zig-zag pattern around the shank end of the ham. You want to make this cut about 10cm from the end of the bone.
Run the knife around the edge of the ham rind. Then run your fingers under the rind of the ham, between the fat layer and the skin. You will find that the skin will slowly separate from the fat layer. Take it slow, don’t rush it. Do not remove the fat.
After taking off the ham’s skin, use a sharp knife to make diamond-shaped cuts in the fat that are about 1 cm deep. Be careful not to cut into the ham meat, you only want to score the fat.
The fat will render (shrink in size) during cooking. Deep scoring may expose the ham meat when cooking and spoil the look of your ham.
Scoring helps the glaze adhere to the ham better. The glaze also gets in between all those score marks to create a stickier more flavoured end result. It also looks great for presentation.
What glaze you use to cook your ham is all personal taste. There is no wrong way, but there are a few rules to follow.
Sugar of some sort is the most important ingredient in a glaze. It can be brown sugar, maple syrup, or even honey. The sugar is what caramelises the ham so it gets that gorgeous sticky sheen.
Glaze the ham religiously. Brush it over every 10 – 15 minutes. You want to build up that glaze for a deep rich layer of flavour.
Following the easy steps on how to cook a ham after getting the ham and glaze ready
- Take the ham out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. If you live in a warm or cold place, the amount of time you spend outside of the fridge will depend on the season.
- Pre-heat oven 180°C (360°F).
- Place a roasting rack into your chosen baking tin/roasting tray. It needs to be big enough to hold the whole ham.
- Pour some water into the baking tin. This will catch all the juices and fat from the ham while it’s cooking. It keeps them from burning and lets you put the ham on a base. It’s possible to make the water taste better by adding wine or juice.
- Place the ham on the rack for roasting and brush it with a lot of glaze.
- Place the ham in the oven to cook. While it’s in the oven, baste and glaze it every 10 to 15 minutes until the glaze is gone. You want a thick, luscious, sticky glaze layer of flavour.
- Cover parts of the ham that look like they might catch fire with aluminum foil until the rest of the ham is done caramelizing and looks beautiful. This way they have will have a nice even colour.
Below are the cooking times for both bone-in and boneless hams at oven temperature 180°C (360°F).
Remember that your ham is already cooked. The time it spends in the oven is to warm it through and create a gorgeous sticky glaze. If you overcook your ham it may become dry. Which you want to avoid. Dont overcook your ham.
2 kg (4. 4 lb): 40 mins 2. 5 kg (5. 5 lb): 50 mins 3 kg (6. 6 lb): 1 hour 3. 5 kg (7. 7 lb): 1 hour 10 mins 4 kg (8. 8 lb): 1 hour 20 mins 4. 5 kg (9. 9 lb): 1 hour 30 mins 5 kg (11 lb): 1 hour 40 mins 5. 5 kg (12. 1 lb): 1 hour 50 mins 6 kg (13. 2 lb): 2 hours *Add 10 minutes for every half a kilo/1. 1 pounds in addition to the 6kg/13. 3lb cooking time for larger sizes.
If you want to bake your ham on the day
- You can make the glaze ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.
- Take the ham’s rind off a day or two ahead of time. To keep the ham from drying out, put the rind back on it and wrap it in a clean, damp tea towel before putting it back in the fridge.
- Then simply baste and bake on the day.
How to cook a ham entirely ahead of time?
- Cook the ham entirely as per instructions.
- Let it cool completely.
- Put the pan juices in a container that won’t let air in and put it in the fridge.
- Place baking paper over the ham and then wrap it completely in foil. Place in the fridge until needed. You can prepare the ham this way a few days ahead of time.
- It’s time to cook the ham. Take it out of the fridge the day before and put it in a 160°C/320°F oven for about an hour.
- Place reserved pan juices in a saucepan to warm. While the ham is reheating, brush it with the pan juices that have been warmed up. This ensures the ham looks gorgeously glazed and just cooked.
Easy Ham Recipe – How to Bake a Ham
How do you cook a bone-in Ham?
To cook a bone-in ham, you can use the oven-baking method. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Place the ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes per pound.
Are Bertocchi Brothers Ham smoked?
Bertocchi Brothers Triple Smoked Leg Ham Triple SmokedGluten FreePremium QualityAll Natural Button New York Style Ham Off Bone Premium quality leg ham off the boneSeared, baked and oven roasted the old fashioned, traditional way to lock in flavourFully bonelessGluten free Button Smoked Meaty Hocks Single Unit
How long do you cook a ham hock?
Brush one-third of the glaze over the ham. Bake, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes, for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the ham is golden and cooked. Place ham skin side up. Then run a small, sharp knife under the rind around the bottom (opposite end to hock) and each side of the ham to about halfway up towards the hock.
How to cook a fall off the bone Ham?
The first step to cooking an amazing fall off the bone ham is selecting the right cut. Opt for a bone-in, fully cooked ham with a layer of fat on top. This fat will keep the meat incredibly moist during the cooking process, resulting in a more tender and flavorful ham. 2. Prepare the Ham