Ham bones are often used to add rich smoky flavor to soups, beans and greens. But if a recipe calls for a ham bone, how much should you expect that bone to weigh? Ham bone sizes can vary quite a bit based on the cut of meat it came from. Here’s a closer look at the average weight of different ham bone types.
Ham Bone Sizes
Not all ham bones are created equal Bones from different ham cuts have distinct sizes and weights
-
Whole ham bone – Bones from an uncut, cured whole ham generally weigh 1-2 pounds. They offer the most meat and flavor.
-
Shank end ham bone – The lower portion of the leg where the ham was cut from the hock weighs around 1 pound.
-
Butt end ham bone – Bones from the meatier upper portion of a ham weigh approximately 3⁄4 pound.
-
Center cut ham bone – Center sliced ham bones tend to be the smallest at 1⁄2 pound or less.
-
Spiral cut ham bone – Spiral sliced bone-in hams produce bones weighing 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 pound.
-
Ham hock bones – Meaty ham hocks can have bones weighing 1⁄2 to 1 pound each.
As you can see, there’s a wide range based on the original cut of ham. Whole, uncut ham bones offer the most generous amount of bone, fat, and meat – usually over one pound.
Factors Affecting Weight
The specific weight of a ham bone depends on a few factors:
-
Bone size – Larger, meatier ham cuts like the butt end or shank end have bigger bones.
-
Meat left on bone – Bones with more leftover ham pieces will weigh more.
-
Fat – Bones covered in more fat generally weigh more than leaner bones.
-
Preparation method – Bones roasted in the ham retain more meat than those removed pre-cooking.
-
Bone type – The femur thigh bone tends to be larger than shin bones from the lower leg.
-
Breed and size of pig – Bones from larger heritage hog breeds are bigger than commercial breeds.
-
Curing method – Wet-cured hams produce meatier bones than dry-cured.
-
Cooking method – Baked hams often yield bones with more meat intact compared to boiled.
In general, expect a used ham bone for cooking to weigh around 3⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 pounds. Whole, uncut ham bones on the larger end of that scale.
Estimating Needed Bone Size
When a recipe calls for a ham bone, how do you estimate what size bone to use? Here are some tips:
-
For brothy soups, choose a heartier 1-2 pound whole bone.
-
Opt for a 3⁄4 to 1 pound shank end bone for simmering beans or collard greens.
-
If making cabbage soup, ham hocks with 1⁄2 pound bones work well.
-
For less bone-in flavor, use smaller 1⁄2 pound center cut bones.
-
Match bone size to volume – a big stockpot needs a larger 2 pound bone.
-
Allow 1-2 bones per quart of water for full-bodied flavor.
In general, it’s better to err on the larger side. A heavy bone can always be removed when the flavor is extracted. Smaller bones may not impart enough richness.
Buying Ham Bones
Searching for the perfect ham bone? Here are some tips for sourcing bones for cooking:
-
Ask your butcher or the meat counter for ham bones. Specify what size bone you need.
-
Look for meaty ham hocks near other cured meats or in the frozen section.
-
Seek out uncut, bone-in cured hams and remove the bone yourself.
-
Order smoked ham bones online from specialty meat purveyors.
-
Save bones from your own bone-in, spiral cut, or half ham.
-
Use leftovers from a bone-in ham after the holidays.
Properly stored in the freezer, ham bones can be kept for several months before use. Thaw in the refrigerator before adding to recipes.
Using Ham Bones
Ready to put your ham bones to work? Here are some top uses:
-
Simmer in bean soups like split pea or ham and bean for rich flavor.
-
Add to cabbage or potato soup and then remove bone before serving.
-
Slow cook with collard greens, mustard greens, or turnip greens.
-
Include in pots of white beans, navy beans, or other bean varieties.
-
Flavor lentil soup.
-
Roast then simmer in vegetable soup stock.
-
Craft your own smoky ham broth.
-
Season pots of rice, risotto, or grits.
Ham bones infuse any dish with a salty, smoky pork essence. Adjust cooking times based on the size of your bone and desired flavor strength. Remove bones before serving or warn guests to watch for the bones.
Get the Most from Your Ham Bones
Follow these tips to maximize the flavor from your ham bones:
-
Choose bones with some meat, fat, and cartilage for the most body.
-
Roast bones at 400°F for 30 minutes to intensify flavor before simmering.
-
Add some diced onion, carrot, and celery during simmering.
-
Simmer bones for 1-2 hours but taste occasionally for preferred strength.
-
Add a splash of apple cider or red wine vinegar to the cooking liquid.
-
Crack or split bones with a meat mallet to expose the marrow.
-
Use prepared ham broth or beans in recipes like red beans and rice.
With their smoky, salty flavor, ham bones bring a delicious flavor punch. Approximate bone size by cut, source quality bones, and use hammy leftovers to their full potential in your dishes.
What Is a Fresh Ham? A Cured Ham? A Smoked Ham?
FRESH HAM or GREEN HAM – This is an uncured and uncooked ham. I’ve never seen a fresh ham at the grocery store but when you buy a whole hog for the freezer, you’ll get two fresh hams unless you request otherwise. If you purchase a fresh ham, it can be roasted/baked straight off; it can be cured at home and then baked (see Mark Bittman’s recent recipe in the New York Times); it can be smoked at home and then roasted/baked. I once made the mistake of making pulled pork with a fresh ham: oops, not good, it’s too lean a cut.
CURED HAM – A cured ham has been flavored with salt, sugar and other flavorings. The meat from the back of a pig is turned into the tasty food we call ham by these flavors. (We really do need two words, don’t we?).
Many foods are cured, not just hams, some times for food-preservation and some times for food-flavoring. We all know cured foods like salami, pepperoni, pickled herring, tofu, olives, ham, bacon, and sausages like salami and pepperoni.
- WET-CURED HAM: Hams that are wet-cured are soaked in a brine that has salt, sugar, and other spices in it. A wet-cure ham may also be smoked. It tastes a lot like pork, but it’s not as salty as a traditional country ham. It’s a good idea to find out how the ham is cured. Some are wet-cured with salt-sugar-smoke flavoring injected into them, rather than brined and then smoked.
- CITY HAM: A city ham is probably the most common type of ham in the U.S. S. A brine of salt, sugar, and spices is poured or soaked into a city ham, and then it is lightly smoked or boiled. At the grocery store, look for city ham in the cold case, probably next to the bacon. It will be wrapped in plastic. It will say “ready to serve,” “partially cooked,” or “ready to cook.” Look for one that’s labeled ‘ham in natural juices’. I think of a city ham as an everyday ham because it’s easy to find and not too expensive.
- CURED HAM (DRY): When you cure ham the dry way, you use salt instead of liquid to give it flavor. The salt pulls out moisture and concentrates the meat flavor. It is often a treat and can be bought at specialty shops and butchers. Examples include prosciutto from Italy, Serrano ham from Spain, and Black Forest ham from Germany.
- COUNTRY HAM: A country ham is cured with salt and air, sometimes smoke, and then aged. This type of country ham is very salty. It’s so salty that people eat it on biscuits in very thin slices or soak and rinse it for 12 to 24 hours before baking it. But country hams can be cured with less salt, so they don’t need to be soaked and rinsed. People in the American South love country ham, and the process of curing them goes back to the days before food was canned. (More about the tradition of country hams. ) .
- VIRGINIA HAM – A Virginia ham is a country ham.
- SMOKED HAM – Smoking is another form of curing. A ham is salt-cured or brined before it is smoked to stop bacteria from growing during the smoking process. The meat then spends many hours, or even days, in a smokehouse so that the flavor of hickory or maple smoke can slowly permeate it. The temperature is low, below 100F, so the meat doesn’t “burn up.” That’s why this slow process is called “cold-smoking.”
- AGES: After being cured and smoked, many good hams are left to age for weeks, months, or even years. As the hams “age”, the flavors concentrate and develop.
Finding a Local Ham
HAMS from a grocery store vs. HAMS from small local producers
Still, a grocery store might have a locally cured ham, and many local ham makers only sell to grocery stores in bulk. So instead of using the plastic wrappers that big supermarkets use, start by asking a butcher. Even better, ask an old-fashioned, knowledgeable butcher in a small grocery store.
ST LOUIS HAM LOVERS For the best ham in St. Louis, look for a Miller ham, see Miller Ham for a list of local retail stores. I buy Miller hams at Freddies Market in Webster Groves, at the corner of Big Bend and Rock Hill. During peak ham periods, be sure to order in advance. Be prepared for sticker shock, for once on the LOW end.
MISSOURI HAM LOVERS Two local producers of ham in Missouri are Burgers Smokehouse in California (that would be California, Missouri, people) and Baumgartners Boone County Ham in Rocheport, Missouri.
FINDING A LOCAL HAM The more I research ham, the more I get the idea that there may well be dozens, even hundreds, of quality small ham producers like that manage to stay well under the consumer radar, despite their skill and passion for developing fine hams over many decades. But it might take some poking around to find one nearby. Local Harvest is a start, the Country Ham Association another. You might also check the local message boards on ChowHound, or even post your own question. Good luck, its worth the search!
THANK A LOCAL HAM PRODUCER: If you know of a good local ham producer in your area or have another way to help people find one, please leave your information in the comments so that others can use it.
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman. This is a fascinating cookbook for anyone who wants to explore curing your own meats. I find it daunting but hey, you never know.
Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them by Peter Kaminsky. I once had the privilege of spending a day with Peter. Afterward I wrote an essay called The Heartbeat of Iowa. Peters also the reason my husband and I cooked a whole buffalo three times in three years. I wrote about the first time when I shared my recipe for Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix, which can be used to make a large batch or a small batch at home. But cooking whole bison? Thats another story for another day. :-).
Have you ever cooked pork roast or chops and the middle stayed pink? That’s not good, right?
The answer is, it depends. Check out Should Cooked Pork Be Pink?.
How do I save and share my favorite recipes? Are there recipes that I should try? Is there a certain recipe that my mom, daughter, or best friend would love? If you found this page helpful, please save and share!
How to Boil a Ham Bone for Broth and Chunks of Ham
FAQ
How much does a bone-in ham weigh?
How much meat is on a ham bone?
How many people will a 10lb bone-in ham feed?
How much bone-in ham to buy?