Steaming Ham: The Perfect Method For Tender Meat

Cooking a ham in a steam oven is a great way to ensure your meat stays moist and tender. The steam prevents the ham from drying out, which is a common issue when baking ham in a conventional oven. There are a few different ways to cook ham in a steam oven, depending on the type of ham you have and your desired glaze. A classic brown sugar glaze adds incredible flavour and creates sought-after caramelised edges, but you could also try a hot honey glaze or a ginger beer and maple glaze.

Characteristics of cooking a ham in a steam oven

How to choose the right ham

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right ham, especially if you're preparing it for a special occasion. Here are some tips to help you select the best ham for your meal:

Type of Ham

The most popular type of ham is the whole ham, which can weigh between 15 to 20 pounds and serve up to 30 people. However, unless you're feeding a large crowd or want a lot of leftovers, you may not need to purchase an entire ham. Instead, consider buying a half ham or even a boneless ham, which can come in smaller sizes.

There are two main types of ham: city ham and country ham. City ham is the type that is readily available at grocery stores and is usually cured by brining and sold fully cooked. Country ham, on the other hand, is dry-cured and uncooked, and is harder to find. It is cured with a dry rub, hung to dry, and sold uncooked. Country ham can be very salty and dry, and is often served in thin slices or soaked for 24 hours before cooking. Fresh hams (uncured and uncooked) are even more difficult to find and may need to be specially requested from your local butcher.

Bone-In vs Boneless Ham

Another important decision is whether to choose a bone-in or boneless ham. Bone-in hams are said to have better flavour and texture, and the bone can also be used for making soups and stews. However, boneless hams are easier to carve and are generally less expensive. When buying a bone-in ham, you also need to consider the part of the ham: the shank end (leg portion) is leaner and easier to carve, while the butt end (top half) has more tender and fattier meat but has a T-shaped bone that can be tricky to work around.

How Much Ham to Buy

When deciding how much ham to buy, a good rule of thumb is to plan for 3/4 to 1 pound per person if you're buying a bone-in ham, and 1/2 pound per person for a boneless ham. If you want leftovers, bone-in hams are usually larger, while boneless hams can come in smaller sizes.

Cooking Method

Consider how you plan to cook the ham. Make sure the ham will fit in your roasting pan or slow cooker. Spiral-sliced hams can be a good option if you're looking for convenience as they are easier to cut and serve, but they can dry out during cooking. Bone-in, unsliced hams offer more flexibility in slice thickness but require careful carving. Boneless hams have a different texture due to the curing process and are generally less expensive and easier to carve. Canned ham, which is made of multiple smaller pieces of meat pressed together, has an even longer shelf life and is another convenient option.

Preparing the glaze

There are many different glaze recipes to try, but most include a combination of sugar, mustard, and vinegar. A simple glaze can be made by mixing brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, and garlic. You can also add in some ginger beer or honey for extra flavour.

If you're short on time, you can use a store-bought glaze packet, but making your own is easy and allows you to customise the flavour to your taste. Simply combine your chosen ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes syrupy.

For a classic brown sugar glaze, mix together light brown sugar, dry mustard, and cider vinegar, dry white wine, prune juice, pineapple juice, fresh-squeezed orange juice, or ham drippings. You can also add whole cloves to this mixture for extra warmth and depth of flavour.

Another option is a hot honey glaze, which you can make by combining honey with halved dried jalapeño and habanero peppers. Cook this mixture in a Dutch oven until it reaches the target temperature (about 35 minutes), then strain out the peppers and seeds.

Scoring and studding the ham

Once you've scored the ham, it's time to stud it with cloves. Place a single clove in the centre of each diamond, where the scores intersect. This adds warmth and depth of flavour to the ham. You can now brush your chosen glaze over the ham, ensuring it fills the grooves created by scoring. The glaze will add moisture and flavour to the ham as it cooks.

If you're using a pre-cooked ham, you can score and stud the ham before applying the glaze and placing it in the oven. However, if you're starting with a raw ham, you can choose to score and stud it before or after cooking, depending on your preference.

Cooking times and temperatures

The cooking time and temperature for a ham in a steam oven will vary depending on the size of the ham and whether it is bone-in or boneless.

For an uncooked half ham, allow around 20 minutes per pound and for an uncooked full ham, 18-20 minutes per pound. In both cases, roast until the interior temperature reaches 160°F. For a precooked ham, reheat for about 15-18 minutes per pound to hit 140°F.

A 12-pound ham should be cooked at 350°F for 4.5 to 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center (not touching the bone) should read at least 160°F.

If you are using a combi steam oven, a 750g bottle of ginger beer, muscovado sugar, dijon and seeded mustard, and pure maple syrup can be whisked together and boiled to create a glaze. Stud the ham with cloves, place it on a perforated baking tray over a solid baking tray, and cook at 180°C for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, pour the glaze from the solid baking tray over the ham and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Repeat this process two more times. Once the ham is golden, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes, pouring the glaze over a further two times while it rests.

If you are using an Anova Precision Oven, combine honey, jalapeños, and habaneros in a Dutch oven and cook until the target temperature is reached (about 35 minutes). Place the ham in a small roasting pan fitted with a rack and cook for 30 minutes. Whisk together the hot honey with sugar and mustard until smooth. Brush the ham with the glaze, return to the oven, and cook until the glaze is browned (about 15 minutes).

Carving and serving

Once your ham is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. Tent it with foil to keep it warm.

If your ham has a bone, place the ham bottom side up on a carving board or cutting board. Locate the centre bone and cut around it completely. You will see natural sections of meat separated by fat all around the bone. Cut through these separations to get slices. Place the slices onto a serving tray.

If your ham is boneless, use a sharp knife to cut even slices.

Serve your ham with side dishes such as mashed potatoes, steamed carrots with hot honey butter, potato rolls, roasted green beans, devilled eggs, carrot salad, maple-glazed carrots, or roasted Brussels sprouts.

Frequently asked questions