Best Fresh Ham Roast Recipe

Name: Best Fresh Ham Roast Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh ham bone-in or bone less; 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt; ½ cup brown sugar; 3-4 oranges; 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme; 2 tablespoon fresh Rosemary; 3 cups water; 1 cup white wine

User Reviews

5.0

36 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings
12 servings
Calories
975 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Best Fresh Ham Roast Recipe

Kristin Morrison

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The Best Fresh Ham Roast Recipe (Easy). Perfectly seasoned with herbs, spices, and a hint of brown sugar, this makes for the juiciest ham roast with a delightfully crispy outer layer. This is a wonderful holiday ham recipe (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter). Serve it for any special occasion, or make it a family dinner night favorite! Serve with roasted potatoes and a beautiful salad.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 pound fresh ham bone-in or bone less not precooked or cured
1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
3-4 oranges cut into 1-inch slices
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme minced
2 tablespoon fresh Rosemary minced
3 cups water
1 cup white wine

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Instructions

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Leave the fat layer on the ham. Score ham in a diamond pattern (crisis cross) of ½-inch-deep cuts about 1½ inches apart.
In a small bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, pepper, thyme, and rosemary, pinching the herbs until they become fragrant. Pat mixture all over the ham and into scores on the ham roast.
Place orange slices on the bottom of a roasting rack that is in a large roasting pan. Place ham fat-side up on the bed of orange slices on the rack. Pour water and white wine into the bottom of the pan.
Roast for ½ an hour at 425 degrees F, uncovered.
Turn the heat down to 300 degrees F. We want to cook it low and slowly to tenderize the meat. If needed, add water to the pan to keep pan juices from burning. Cook uncovered unless the skin starts to brown more than you like; then, you can tent it with aluminum foil.
Bake until a meat thermometer is pressed into the thickest part of the ham and the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, about 3- 3 1/2 hours (see notes). The top will be nice and golden brown, and the interior will be tender.
Tent the fresh ham roast with aluminum foil and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Save the pan drippings to make pan gravy or spoon it over the meat before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

*For food safety, ensure your ham reaches at least 150-160 degrees F. If you cook a bigger ham roast, you may need to increase the cooking time. Get a Good Meat Thermometer here.
For fresh, unsmoked ham, a bone-in whole leg cooks for 22-26 minutes per pound. A boneless whole leg cooks for 24-28 minutes per pound. Half the bone-in cut cooks for 35-40 minutes per pound.
A general rule for cooking fresh ham is to remember that the ham roast will have carryover cooking. This means the meat continues to rise in temperature as the roast rests (about 10º). This means that you will take it out when it is about 10º below your desired doneness based on this chart.The Final Temperature (after resting) for Medium Done ham is: 150º F- This means you take it out at around 140º F - After letting it rest for about 30 minutes, it will reach 150º FThe BEST way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer. This will ensure that it is cooked perfectly, no matter the size of your fresh ham roast.
If you wish to make pan gravy, degrease the pan juices, thicken with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour and add a bit of stock.
If you have leftovers store the sliced ham in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Enjoy the leftover ham in sandwiches with our focaccia bread, or make Baked Ham and Cheese Pasta (with White Sauce).
Spices - if you want to add more traditional American flavors to this fresh ham roast, try adding cloves, to the spice rub.
Sweet - you can add more brown sugar to make it sweeter or even a bit of maple syrup to make it a maple spice glaze. Alternatively, you can use honey to make a honey glaze. Even a little soy sauce to the honey glaze would add a nice touch. I love this fresh ham more savory than sweet, but you can customize it as you please.
Cooking Liquid - for the cooking liquid you can use beer, cider, stock, or all water.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 975kcal (49%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 82g (164%) Fat 63g (97%) Saturated Fat 23g (115%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 30g Cholesterol 234mg (78%) Sodium 5366mg (224%) Potassium 1176mg (34%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 142IU (3%) Vitamin C 19mg (21%) Calcium 59mg (6%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 975 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	975kcal	49%
Carbohydrates	14g	5%
Protein	82g	164%
Fat	63g	97%
Saturated Fat	23g	115%
Polyunsaturated Fat	7g	41%
Monounsaturated Fat	30g	150%
Cholesterol	234mg	78%
Sodium	5366mg	224%
Potassium	1176mg	25%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	12g	24%
Vitamin A	142IU	3%
Vitamin C	19mg	21%
Calcium	59mg	6%
Iron	4mg	22%