My Guide to Cooking Every Cut: Ham

One ham. A week of meals. That’s why we don’t save it for Easter. One cut feeds this family for days — supper, eggs, leftovers, and the snacks the kids actually eat.

What you need to know: It’s already smoked. To make it really good, season it a little and slow-cook it. Bring it to about 125°F inside, glaze it, then finish to 140°F.

Crock-Pot method

1. Thaw in the fridge. Slice if you want, or leave it whole.

2. Put the ham (and the bone, if you have it) in the Crock-Pot, cut-side down.

3. Pour ½ to 1 cup liquid around it — apple juice, pineapple juice, or stock.

4. Cook:

   • Low: 4–6 hours

   • High: 2–3 hours

5. It’s ready when the center hits 140°F.

6. For a sticky glaze: lift the ham out, brush it on, then either broil 3–5 minutes on a sheet pan or put it back in the Crock-Pot on High, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes.

   
   

You can also brush the glaze on at the start. It melts into the ham and gives it great flavor.

Easy glaze

• ½ cup brown sugar or honey

• 2 Tbsp mustard

• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or juice from the pot

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What else to do with ham

• Baked Hawaiian rolls with ham and cheese

• Diced into scrambled eggs

• Chopped into scalloped potatoes or potato soup

• Rolled with sliced cheese and a little mustard for a high-protein snack

  
  

That’s it — simple, worry-free, and packed with protein.

We usually have a few hams left in the freezer. Call or text Erin at 920-905-3806 to reserve yours, and grab a half hog HERE.

With four kids, the farm, AJ's custom farming, and Erin's full-time job, it seems like we are always running. My favorite hack for putting dinner on the table, is pulling meat out of the freezer on Sunday night. Then I head to Facebook/Pinterest/Tiktok to figure out what I'm going to make with it! I love when meat can be prepared several different ways and several different methods.