Cook a ham to serve for Easter, Christmas or Sunday dinner, then use the leftovers for easy weeknight meals.
Ham is a traditional holiday meat that makes an economical and easy way to serve a large gathering. The leftovers are versatile enough to keep cooking to a minimum for a few days after the big meal. Many cooks serve ham with a traditional brown sugar and pineapple sauce, but this savory version is a refreshing change that creates its own gravy base. Try serving a pineapple relish on the side for a nod to tradition.
Fully-cooked or partially-cooked hams
A ham can be purchased either partially or fully-cooked, and the package will be labeled as such. Cook a partially-cooked ham to an internal roasting temperature of 160 degrees, and heat a fully-cooked ham to 140 degrees. Small ham steaks are also available, and provide a good opportunity to enjoy ham any weeknight.
Leftover Uses for Ham
Save the bone from cooked ham and use to it make a stock. Then add chopped cooked ham and veggies for an easy soup. The gravy in this recipe can be added to the stock for delicious flavor. It also makes a wonderful split pea or ham and lentil soup. The chopped cooked ham can be used for a ham salad, or simply slice and make ham sandwiches. Omelets and quiche are other ways to use leftover ham for breakfast or lunch. Cut into small pieces, ham is a great accompaniment to cheese and crackers.
Ham Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 12-pound ham
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled & sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Handful fresh oregano
- Handful fresh Italian parsley
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 quart water
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup flour
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large Dutch oven or other ovenproof pan big enough to hold ham, sauté shallots, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and herbs in olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter about 10 minutes.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add wine and water and bring to a boil. Add ham.
- Cover pot and bake in oven one hour.
- Turn ham over, re-cover and cook one additional hour or until ham reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees (for partially cooked, or 140 degrees if the ham was fully cooked before purchase).
- Remove ham and keep warm with foil.
- Strain and reserve cooking liquid, and discard vegetables.
- Mix room temperature butter with flour and cook in a medium stockpot about 3 minutes.
- Pour cooking liquid into stock pot with butter-flour mixture and whisk.
- Simmer, stirring, until sauce is smooth and thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Serve sauce with sliced ham.
