Ham Do's And Don'ts
Do allow the ham to sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before cooking.
Do trim the fat, leaving a 1/4" layer. Score the fat into a diamond pattern by cutting 1/4" to 1/2" deep into 1" to 2" squares. Not only does scoring look nice, but it allows fat to render from the ham and provides greater surface area for the glaze to stick to. You may not be able to score a ham that has been "super trimmed" and has little fat left.
Do use a sharp carving knife with a thin blade to cut the ham, or buy a spiral-sliced ham.
Don't forget to line your water pan with aluminum foil if cooking a ham at high temperature and with an empty water. Cleanup will be much easier.
Don't baste the ham with its drippings during cooking, as they tend to be too salty.
Don't coat the ham with sugar, honey or glaze until the last hour of cooking. One application is usually enough.
Don't throw out the ham bone, use it to flavor soups or bean dishes.
Ham, the all-purpose leftover
You can use leftover ham in soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, and salads. And, like turkey leftovers at Thanksgiving, ham makes an wonderful sandwich. It's a perfect pairing for many egg dishes. Chopped ham tastes great in frittatas - an egg dish resembling an omelet that's not folded over and is usually finished under the broiler - and quiches. Ham is ideal pan-fried and served with scrambled eggs.
Remember to save the ham bone for your soups. Especially bean and split-bean soup.
Just remember to watch how you salt or season the leftover dishes you make. Ham tends to be salty and can make whatever you're making salty, too.
Ham Nutrition
Ham is one of the leanest cuts of pork. According to the USDA, a 3.4 ounce (100 gram) serving of roasted extra-lean ham has about 145 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein and 53 milligrams of cholesterol. Ham contains a significant amount of vitamins B-1 and B-12. While fresh pork is low in sodium, ham is high in sodium as a result of the curing process. According to the USDA, a serving of ham can contain about one-half of the recommended daily intake of sodium.
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