If you want to reheat cooked ham without drying it out, use a slow cooker for best results. When you warm up the ready-to-eat ham, place it in the cooker with a little liquid. If you want to use seasoning, mix some of the ingredients first, then pour over the meat to finish the process on the grill. This method is suitable for all types of ready-to-eat ham, whether whole or not, including round ham, boiled ham, and long sliced ham. If the pieces of ham are too large or too small, you can try another method to warm them up.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Warming the Ham
Step 1. Remove fat and ham skin
The outside of the ham usually contains a layer of fat and skin. Use a sharp knife to scrape away the fat and skin until the flesh appears pink. Do this to all sides of the ham until no skin or fat remains.
Step 2. Put the ham on the slow cooker
The first ingredient to put in a slow cooker is ham. Place it with the meat flat on the bottom. The rounded part should face up.
If you are using a boned ham that has never been warmed, check the ends of the bones to make sure there is no plastic. If it's still there, remove the plastic before cooking
Step 3. Pour a cup of liquid
The liquid will cook the ham while keeping it moist. There are different types of liquids that you can use in cooking, depending on what kind of flavor you want to highlight. Water is the most commonly used liquid, but it doesn't add any flavor. You can also use:
- Chicken broth
- Kola
- Apple juice
- Pineapple juice
- Ginger juice
Step 4. Cook the ham for 3-6 hours
Set the slow cooker to a low setting, then put the lid on. Most ham rewarming takes between 3-6 hours, depending on the size.
1.5 kg ham usually takes 2.5 to 3 hours, while 3-7 kg ham takes up to 6 hours to warm up
Step 5. Moisten the ham
About an hour before you're done, you should soak the ham with the liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker basin. Use a spoon or ladle to scoop out the liquid and splash it over the ham to keep it moist.
If you want to use seasoning, you can use the remaining seasoning to moisten the ham
Step 6. Check the temperature
Warmed ham must have an internal temperature of at least 60 °C. Use a meat thermometer to check for the thickest part of the ham. If the temperature is not right, put it back in the slow cooker. If the temperature is higher, remove the ham from the stove immediately so it doesn't overcook.
Method 2 of 3: Applying Seasoning to Ham
Step 1. Slice the top of the ham
If the ham has not been sliced, you will need to make a cut on the top before placing it on the slow cooker. Use a sharp knife to make a gem-shaped incision over the ham. You should only cut the ham to a depth of 1 cm from the surface. This method will allow the marinade to seep into the meat.
Step 2. Mix the seasoning
The seasoning will add flavor while keeping the meat moist. You can use this seasoning to moisten the ham. Brown sugar, maple, pineapple, cloves, and honey are popular ingredients used as a spread. Some of the recipes for basting spices that you can use are:
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Brown Sugar with Maple:
1 cup heavy brown sugar, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup.
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Pineapple:
3/4 cup pineapple juice, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup mustard, 1/3 cup whole grain mustard
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Honey mustard:
1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons mustard, 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Step 3. Thicken the seasoning
If you want a thicker spread of spices, heat them in a skillet. Use low heat and continue to heat until the sugar in it melts. Stir constantly as it heats to prevent the sugar from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 4. Apply the seasoning to the ham
Seasonings can be added when you start to warm the ham or 30 minutes before the ham is finished cooking. Adding seasonings more quickly can affect the taste, but the texture will turn runny as it cooks. The spices added later will stick to the surface of the ham, but the texture will be very thick. Decide which method you prefer, then add the seasoning as desired.
Step 5. Place the ham on the grill
Once the ham has warmed up, place it on the grill for 5-7 minutes. This will caramelize the marinade. Watch the ham as it cooks to prevent it from burning or overcooking.
If you don't want to use the toaster, you can also put the ham in the oven at 218 °C for 8 minutes
Method 3 of 3: Warming Ham in Various Sizes
Step 1. Cover the top of the pan with foil
If the ham is too large, you may not be able to install the slow cooker cover. Luckily, you can use foil to cover the meat. Spread the foil over the top of the slow cooker until it covers the ham and the entire rim of the stove. Gently press the lid to make sure the meat is completely covered. Do not touch this cover while the meat is cooking; open the cover when you want to check the temperature of the ham.
Be careful when removing the cover because the steam that builds up inside is very hot
Step 2. Cut the ham into pieces
If the ham is too large or loosely shaped, you may not be able to fit it into the slow cooker. Cut the ham into pieces to fit. Stuff the pieces in the slow cooker. You can also cook the meat parts separately or remove the unwanted parts.
- If you're using boneless ham, you can cut it as desired to fit on the slow cooker.
- If you're using a bony ham, cut parallel to the top of the bone, as kitchen knives are usually not strong enough to cut through the bone.
Step 3. Warm the ham pieces in another method
Warming ham on a slow cooker may not be suitable for ham that has been chopped and separated from the bone. While round ham can be reheated before slicing, steaks, strips, and ham sheets should be cooked by another method.
- You can reheat the steak or ham strips in the pan until both sides are lightly browned. You can also boil it with a cup of water for 2 minutes to get rid of the saltiness.
- The ham strips can be reheated in a skillet or microwave. You can also include it in soups, omelettes, and a variety of other recipes. You don't need to warm the ham before adding it to a dish.
Tips
If you don't want to wait too long to warm the ham on a slow cooker, you can use an oven or a pressure cooker
Warning
- Cooking ham too long on a slow cooker will dry out the meat
- Do not use the high heat setting to cook the ham. Even though the ham will warm up faster, the meat will dry out.
- Always supervise your slow cooker when in use.
