Roasted Fresh Ham

Name: Roasted Fresh Ham
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Ingredients: 1 16-to-18-pound fresh ham; 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt; 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (from 14 to 16 stems); 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine; 1/4 cup half-and-half

By Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Rating: 4(258)
Notes: Read community notes

This is a huge piece of meat that is simple to prepare and inevitably leads to applause and awe. A fresh ham weighing in at north of 15 pound yields the variety of doneness needed for a big party of eaters: well-done white meat, pink slices for the medium-rare crowd, and crispy fat and dark-meat bits from the shank for those who like to snack. If there are leftovers the next day, carve the rest of the meat from the bone and make yourself a phenomenal ham sandwich. Then use the bones for stock and soup!

Featured in: Got A Crowd Coming Over? Think Big Cuts Of Meat

Learn: How to Cook Ham

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Ingredients

Yield:12 to 14 servings

116-to-18-pound fresh ham
1½tablespoons kosher salt
1tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2tablespoons fresh thyme (from 14 to 16 stems)
2cups plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
¼cup half-and-half

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Trim skin and excess fat from ham, leaving a layer of fat. Score ham all over in a diamond pattern of ½-inch-deep cuts about 1½ inches apart.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and thyme, pinching and sifting mixture until thyme becomes fragrant. Pat mixture all over ham and into crevices.
Step 3
Place ham fat-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast uncovered for ½ an hour. Turn heat down to 350 degrees, pour 2 cups wine and ½ cup water into pan and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Continue to roast, basting every hour. Add water to pan, if necessary, to keep pan juices from scorching; bake until a meat thermometer pressed into thickest part of ham reads 155 degrees, about 3½ hours.
Step 4
Let ham stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Pour pan juices and remaining 2 tablespoons wine into a small saucepan and simmer about 2 minutes. Turn off flame, add half-and-half, and serve with ham.

Ratings

4 out of 5

258 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Suzanne6 years ago

I just cooked a 6 pound fresh ham last night for four hours at 325 degrees and cannot get the juices to run clear. Any idea what's going on? Or anyone else have this issue? Thanks in advance!

Tish6 years ago

This is fresh pork; ham is a cut of the hog's thigh. My southern mother cooked this often (without the thyme or white wine, just lots of pepper. We loved it, especially cold in sandwiches the next day.

Bettyanne5 years ago

This is fresh ham, see notes

Rebecca6 years ago

A very simple recipe and positively delicious! I'm so glad I have a second half ham in the freezer so I can make it again.

Max6 years ago

Ham refers to the hind leg of the pig, either fresh, dry-cured, wet-cured, smoked or not. This is definitely ham -- it's just a fresh, uncured ham.

pam2 months ago

Fresh ham is confusing. It’s a leg of pork.

EricJM2 years ago

I want to try this, but it seems sinful to remove the skin from fresh ham. The crackling skin from pork is like meat candy, even unglazed. Is it really tasty without the skin?

Richard1 year ago

Fat adds the flavor. Remove only "excess" fat.

DPNC2 years ago

In Eastern NC, our fresh ham (pork shoulder or Boston butt works) tradition was a corned ham, salted down for several days for a short cure, then soaked before slow roasting. Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill took it “uptown” and introduced to a new generation. Delicious hot, falling off the bone, or cold as leftovers or in fried rice. I’m making myself hungry!

Bettyanne5 years ago

This is fresh ham, see notes

D.D. Chicago6 years ago

The two better recipes are from the Time Life "Pork" book by Richard Olney. They can not be beat.

Rebecca6 years ago

A very simple recipe and positively delicious! I'm so glad I have a second half ham in the freezer so I can make it again.

Suzanne6 years ago

I just cooked a 6 pound fresh ham last night for four hours at 325 degrees and cannot get the juices to run clear. Any idea what's going on? Or anyone else have this issue? Thanks in advance!

Katherine6 years ago

I did one of these monsters for Christmas last year, and I think it was the traditional ham cut (leg) but it wasn't cured -- hence "fresh". Could be wrong, so let me know if that's the case.

Tish6 years ago

Max6 years ago

Ham refers to the hind leg of the pig, either fresh, dry-cured, wet-cured, smoked or not. This is definitely ham -- it's just a fresh, uncured ham.

Carol6 years ago

Thank you for citing the differences. Regionally, this is huge to note since fresh port that is used in latino cooking (lechon) is this cut of meat.

David6 years ago

Is this fresh pork? Or uncooked ham?

Carol6 years ago

Uncooked fresh pork...As Max referred to it, it's the hind part of the pig which is used for salted/cured hams frequently known in the South but there's a difference in what people come to know as "pork" (uncooked/uncured) and ham (which, even though its the same cut of meat...the hind leg of the pig), most folks don't know it as anything but "ham"....but depending on your cultural upbringing, you can use it in lechon (latino style pork)

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