City Ham

Adapted from a recipe by John Martin Taylor in Fine Cooking magazine

John Martin Taylor says this ham is so good that “during parties I have to make sure no one’s around when I carve it because folks will flat-out pull the thing to death.” He’s right.

It’s nice to have a baked ham on hand around the holidays, particularly if you have company coming and going. It’s perfect sliced thin and tucked into Tiny Corn Muffins, or served with scrambled, poached, or fried eggs. With leftovers, in addition to the obvious sandwiches, you can serve thick slices alongside macaroni and cheese and buttered peas, or sizzle them in a skillet with a little butter for breakfast.

John Martin Taylor, originally from Charleston, calls this a “city ham” (wet-cured) to distinguish it from a “country ham” (dry-cured). Both are delicious, but country ham is best eaten like prosciutto—sliced paper thin and savored sparingly. If you visit his blog post, where this recipe appears toward the end, you’ll find something interesting to read as well as several other great dishes he makes.

The caveat here is that you have to have a really good ham.

1 whole bone-in fully cooked smoked ham, or
½ bone-in fully cooked smoked ham, shank end preferred but butt end is fine
(Note: This is not a canned ham.)

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Remove the ham from its packaging. Place it on a flat rack in a roasting pan, and loosely crumple a piece of aluminum foil over the top. You want a soft tent—not a tight seal.

Bake at 275°F for 7 to 8 hours for a whole ham, or 3 to 4 hours for a half ham.

Let the ham rest before carving. Serve warm or at room temperature.