Ham is a great meat to serve for dinner or holidays like Easter and Christmas. It is also perfect to make to enjoy at large gatherings. But, how much should you plan on serving per person?
How Much Ham Do you Need Per Person?
You will need to have at least 1/2 pound of ham per person. If you are planning to serve boneless ham you can reduce the serving to 1/3 pound per person.
Once you figure out how much ham you need per person you can then decide the type of ham you are going to buy. Whether that be a boneless ham or one with the bone. Are you going to buy a fresh ham, one that needs to be reheated, or prosciutto ham that is ready to eat out of the package?
Type of Ham To Buy
You can buy bone-in or boneless ham. My favorite type of ham to cook is the one with the bone. I find that it is very flavorful and tender. You can add a delicious glaze to it, and you can use the bone to make soup with.
Fresh
You can buy fresh ham which is uncured and usually has the skin still on. It has a pink or beige color to it. This type of ham needs to be fully cooked before eating.
Fully Cooked
This is the most common type of ham you will find in grocery stores. This ham is cured and is ready to eat, but it is best to reheat it first. It is best to reheat fully cooked ham at a low temperature so that you will not dry it out.
Dry Cured
This type of ham can be eaten straight out of the package. An example of this type of ham is prosciutto.
What is the difference between fresh and cured ham?
Fresh ham is uncured with a pink or slightly beige color. It has to be cooked before eating. Cured ham is pre-cooked ham. Most of the pre-cooked hams need to be reheated before eating.
How long do you cook A ham in the oven?
Cook ham in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes per pound.
How do I cook a precooked ham?
Precooked ham should be reheated in the oven. Heat at 325 for 10 minutes per pound.
What temperature does ham need to be cooked to?
The USDA recommends cooking ham to an internal temperature of at least 145 F. Check with a food thermometer.
Do you cover ham when you cook it?
Yes, you should cover the ham when you cook it. You can either cover the baking pan with foil or wrap the ham in foil before cooking. Add a small amount of water to the bottom of your baking dish which will add some moisture. If you cook the ham uncovered it will lose moisture and will make it dry.
What To Serve With Ham
Here are some side dish ideas to go along with your ham dinner. You can get more recipe ideas here 20 Best Side Dishes For Ham.
Conclusion
When you are trying to decide how much ham you should serve per person think about your guest list. Will there be more adults or children? Look at your menu list, does it contain a lot of filling side dishes. Do you have more meat dishes that you will be serving along with the ham? These are all things to keep in mind when you decide how much ham you need. Plan on serving 1/2 pound of bone-in ham per person and 1/3 pound per person if you will be using boneless ham.
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