What can I make with ham?

How to cook ham so it stays tender

1. 1Pat the ham dry and salt it 15-40 minutes ahead. Dry surface means browning instead of steaming.
2. 2Preheat the pan until a drop of water skitters, then add a thin film of oil. Crowding the pan is the number one reason ham turns grey.
3. 3Brown in a single layer without moving it for 2-3 minutes per side, then build the sauce in the same pan so the browned bits dissolve into it.
4. 4Cook to temperature, not time: 160F for ground meat, 130-135F for a medium-rare cut, then rest 5 minutes before slicing.

What goes well with ham

Ham is at its best with onion, garlic, tomato, potato, paprika and red wine. Any two or three of those, plus ham, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.

Storing ham

Keep raw ham on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use it within 1-2 days, or freeze it flat in a bag for up to three months. Cooked leftovers keep 3-4 days and reheat best with a splash of stock in a covered pan rather than in the microwave.

Substituting ham

If you are out of ham, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.

Ham recipes: common questions

What can I make with ham and not much else?

Plenty. With ham plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.

What is the quickest ham recipe?

Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.

Can I substitute ham?

In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.

How do I use up leftover ham?

Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover ham without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.

What temperature should ham be cooked to?

Use an instant-read thermometer rather than timing: 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meat, 145F for whole cuts and fish, all measured at the thickest point away from bone. Rest larger cuts for five minutes before cutting.

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