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We Discuss The Joys Of Cooking

Do you have a Grandma (or any other family member) that can perform magic with a ham? Most of us can remember a Christmas dinner at Granny’s house where the aroma of baked ham spread throughout the house.  Well, you may not be in granny’s league when it comes to the cooking arts, but with a little help you can prepare an impressive ham dinner for your friends and family.

All you need is to follow the following tips and you,too can create a masterpiece!

Here are the 5 crucial steps to preparing the perfect ham.

Cooking ham step #1:  Pre shopping.
A little advanced research can pay off big for you, especially prior to an upcoming holiday. Grocery stores will often use ham as a loss leader to draw in customers. They know that once you’re in the store, you’ll buy other items, making up for the profits they lost on the ham.

Cooking ham step #2: Selection.
Your choices usually include a bone in, boneless or spiral cut ham. It’s important to test the ham for firmness. Be sure to press hard on several areas of the ham; soft places indicate fat.
In addition you may want to consider a partial ham. These are referred to as either shank or butt portions. The butt portion yields more of the center cut slices; the shank cut is good if you plan on cooking a dish later that calls for a good flavorful hambone. Both the butt and the shank will taste about the same.

Cooking ham step #3: Cooking your ham traditionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the ham in a deep enough baking dish or roasting pan to avoid juices from overflowing while cooking. Brush on the glaze reserving some of the glaze for the periodic basting which should be done about every thirty minutes until meat is done. Then remove baking pan from and allow the ham to cool at room temperature. This makes the meat easier to slice for serving. Now it’s time to place your masterpiece onto a serving platter and garnish with a few sprigs of parsley.

Cooking ham step #4: Cooking Your Ham in a Cooking Bag.
You can cook a ham in any roasting pan that is at least 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. If your roasting pan does not have a cover, aluminum foil can be used to tent the ham and keep all its moist juices inside the ham. Many people have opted for cooking ham in a Reynolds cooking bag simply because there is no messy cleanup and very little to do to the ham itself once it enters the oven. In fact, the only real work is setting the timer and promptly checking the ham when the timer dings. To cook with a bag, you must accurately know how much the ham weighs.

If using the cook-in-bag method you will find a leaflet of instructions in the box with a timetable for how long to cook per pound of meat. Be sure the bag is the right size for the ham. Remember to put three to four tablespoons of flour in bottom of bag. Place ham in bag and brush on the type of glaze you want. Then seal the bag making sure to cut the three slits on each side at the top to prevent the bag from bursting when the heat from the oven makes it expand.

Also be sure to place oven rack low enough in oven so bag wont touch top or sides of oven when cooking ham, since this would cause the bag to melt or stick to oven.

Cooking ham step #5: Post cooking considerations.
When your ham has reached the proper internal temperature, you should remove it from the oven and let it stand. Let it rest for a good 15 minutes or so, and you’ll find that it is easier to cut. Now all that’s left is to carve your masterpiece, and present it to your hungry guests!

In this day and age, most of us are searching for ways to simplify our lives, including making mealtimes easier to deal with and enjoyable for all in the family. It’s gotten to the point where many people have turned to frozen foodstuffs in order to save time and energy! I don’t know about you, but for me the mere thought of keeping a stock of frozen items, checking to see which ones are still fit to be used, all while planning 3 square meals is disturbing! As an alternative, I think crock pot cooking is a fabulous idea.... Click here to read the rest of the article: The Joys of Cooking!