How Can I Improve Precooked Ham? 7 Incredible Techniques

Precooked ham is a foodstuff that is extensively utilized around the world due to its low cost and high nutritional content. Nevertheless, owing to the manufacturing method, this sort of meat is a bit dry, and eating it raw may not be the ideal choice for certain individuals. Thus, if you’re looking for methods to improve the flavor of a precooked ham, keep reading.

To improve the flavor of precooked ham, you may prepare it in three ways: roasting, frying, or just placing it in a slow cooker. Cook the ham in the pineapple marinade first, then slice it and bake it in the oven. It may also be used in dishes including as pizza, sandwiches, and spaghetti.

Which method piques your curiosity the most? Examine them one by one, and you will undoubtedly rethink eating precooked ham right immediately.

How to Make Pre-cooked Ham Taste Better?

Whether you’re cooking for your family or a large holiday celebration, here are some pointers to help you create a true masterpiece of precooked ham.

Roasting the Ham

Roasting pre-cooked ham in the oven is the most conventional method of preparation. But, this process imparts a whole new flavor to the ham. You choose a mixture of ingredients to produce the glaze, and the heat from the oven causes the pre-cooked ham to absorb all of the mixture’s tastes.

To ensure that the glazing penetrates deeply, make little slits in the surface and cover the whole ham with aluminum foil-lined foil. After that, bake it for around 3 hours in the oven.

When the temperature of the pre-cooked ham reaches 140F, it is ready. At this phase, a food thermometer is required. And, sure, the ham is ready after 30 minutes of sitting at room temperature.

Fry It

Frying it is one of the greatest ways to eat it for breakfast, but it may also be used in other quick meals. It is simpler to put it in the pan right away if you cut it into slices or buy it sliced. The cooking temperature should be medium, and the pre-cooked ham should be turned every 2-3 minutes.

Depending on the size of the slice, it should take no more than 8 minutes. When the ham is golden and properly cooked, it is done. Finally, you’ll have a lovely crispy ham ready to eat with eggs, on toast in the morning, or just with tahini and some leftover vegetables from the day before.

Slow Cooker 

Slow cookers are a novel and highly handy kitchen technology. It is a piece of kitchen equipment that cooks food at a low and steady temperature. Because of the way it distributes heat within, the water in food does not evaporate but remains wet.

I used it often in my kitchen to cook rice, soups, and stewed veggies, and I believe it is an excellent and safe purchase since you can manage the cooking duration.

Given that we don’t want this sort of meat to be very dry after cooking, a slow cooker seems to be a viable solution. You will let it cooking for at least 4 hours in this equipment at a low temperature.

The slow cooker will keep it warm for many hours after you turn it off.

Cut the Slices and Bake Them

Many people marinate precooked ham in pineapple juice before baking or cooking it. That’s all there is to it. If you slice the ham first, then marinade and bake it, it will be more delicious, sweet, and juicy.

To prepare the pineapple marinade, combine 2 cups pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 5 cloves, and simmer the entire ham for 30 minutes in the marinade. Be careful to chop the ham’s surface into tiny squares so the marinade may readily penetrate the meat.

Remove the ham from the marinade after 30 minutes and set aside to cool.

2 cup raisins, then bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. It’s time to cut the ham. The slices should be around one finger thick. Spread the marinade over the slices and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.

Spice it up

When we prepare meat, there is always room for seasonings. And when it comes to herbs, the possibilities are unlimited since everyone sees them differently. Here you may explore and dare to make your own spice blends.

Yet, there is a tried-and-true mix of things that might make this meat delicious. The first is a combination of mustard and brown sugar. The key components in virtually all recipes produce a fantastic glaze suitable for all meats.

Even if those two components make a fantastic glaze, you may make a new one by adding additional. Put some butter in the pan, add honey, cinnamon, garlic, and cloves, and mix them with sugar and mustard to take this dish to the next level.

Ginger and cinnamon are another delicious combo. They’re tasty in tea, but they’re best roasted with pre-cooked ham. A wonderful sauce may be made by combining the woody taste of cinnamon and the spicy scent of ginger with mustard and brown sugar.

A last piece of advise is to avoid incorporating salt in your spice mixture since pre-cooked ham has a significant quantity of salt.

Choose Your Favorite Marinade 

When it comes to glazes for pre-cooked ham, there are several alternatives. As previously stated, brown sugar and mustard are two key elements that must be included in practically every glaze. These are combinations that enable you to vary the flavor of the pre-cooked ham and make it distinctive when presenting it.

The citrus family is one of my favorite fruits to utilize while roasting various meats. I usually have lemons on hand for roasting chicken breasts or pink or white grapefruit when cooking turkeys. In terms of pre-cooked ham, I recommend orange. You may squeeze it, eat it as marmalade, or combine pomace and juice together.

Pineapple is another fruit that will work for a more exotic flavor. Since pineapple is a firm fruit that might be difficult to combine, squeezing it and using just the juice is a smart choice. Next, combine it with brown sugar and cloves and bathe the whole surface of the ham. You may always add some pineapple rolls as decoration and flavoring.

You may opt to use alcohol in your marinades on occasion. Rum, the pirate’s drink, will be ideal in this situation. Choose a good type from your cellar and mentally prepare for a sophisticated recipe: roasted ham with rum, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. The gradual but lengthy procedure will aromatize all of the ham with rum.

From rum to even more fruits. Do you like grapes? Maybe you’ve never cooked it with meat before. This glaze is a combination of grape and cola flavors, so it’s not your typical or traditional glaze.

While addressing marinades and glazes, the last option I have is marple syrup. But, if you want to cut down on calories, maple syrup is a suitable substitute for honey.

Incorporate It in Your Every Day Menu

There are various methods to include it into your cuisine and achieve an incredible flavour.

In Pizza

Cooking a pizza at home is much simpler than you imagined. Pizza dough is available in shops and practically everywhere, as are cheese and various sauces. So, now, whenever you make a pizza, you can add pre-cooked ham to the mix and bake it alongside the pie. Finally, some arugula and Parmesan, and it’s done.

In Open Sandwiches or Bruschettas 

Sometimes a leftover sandwich may be so good. Throw together some cold bread, which you may warm up, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, pre-cooked ham, and oregano, and bake for 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted.

Pasta 

Penne with fresh cream and mushrooms is a simple yet tasty pasta dish. You may add a pre-cooked ham cut into pieces while the mushrooms are cooking in melted butter. Let it to crisp before adding the cream. You’ll have a delicious warm amount of sauce for your pasta in 3 or 4 minutes.

Cheese and Salami Platter 

Pre-cooked ham is a product having a low moisture content. As a result, chewing it feels burnt. To make it more appealing to you, combine it with antipasti of cheeses and prosciutto to blend it with different tastes such as spicy, moldy, and mild.

Is Pre-cooked Ham Considered Fully Cooked?

If the cured, smoked, or baked processes are used, the ham is termed pre-cooked. If the ham has gone through one of those stages, it is considered safe to eat.

There are two kinds of pre-cooked ham available on the market. City ham is the most widely available kind at most stores. A substantial amount of salt is applied to the flesh to produce this pre-cooked ham. This sort of ham is often smoked as well.

Country ham is the second kind. To make this sort of ham, the meat is dried at a certain temperature and under stringent humidity and moisture conditions. This kind, once again, may be smoked or not.

Another variation in texture is that some hams have bone while others have not. Hence, before making your selection, you must consider whether or not you want the bone.