How to Reheat a Ham Roast

Ham roast comes from the middle part of the shank bone.

Ham is a center-of-the-plate favorite for Americans. As of 2007, per capita consumption of entree ham was 12.4 lbs. per person, according to a report published by the National Pork Board. In the same year, bone-in ham roast represented nearly 70 percent of the retail market, driven primarily by holiday sales. Ham roast is versatile and easy to prepare. Leftovers are often served chilled or at room temperature, but can just as easily be reheated and served hot. With a little care, a reheated ham roast can be served moist and tender.

Things You'll Need

• Shallow roasting pan
• Aluminum foil
• Meat thermometer

Instructions

Conventional Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place the oven rack in the middle position.

2. Line the bottom of the roasting pan with a single layer of aluminum foil and place the previously cooked ham roast in the pan. Insert a meat thermometer in the meaty portion of the roast, away from the bone.

3. Cover the ham roast with another layer of aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Dry heat is the ham's enemy. Covering the ham roast with foil traps moisture and gently bastes the meat.

4. Allow the ham roast to reheat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven, and let it stand for five minutes. While at rest, the temperature of the meat will rise to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Microwave Oven

1. Place the ham roast in a microwave-safe container and cover it with a vented lid or plastic wrap. The cover should be snug enough to capture moisture and heat, yet loose enough to allow steam to escape.

2. Start the microwave and be sure the carousel is turning. If there isn't a carousel in the microwave, rotate the ham roast during the cooking cycle.

3. Insert a meat thermometer and check the temperature of the thickest part of the ham roast, away from the bone. Once it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the microwave and let it stand for two minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• To microwave large ham roasts, put the power setting on 50 percent so the heat penetrates more evenly and cooks the ham a little slower.

• Do not baste the ham roast with pan drippings directly from the ham. It will add an undesirable salty and briny taste to the ham. Instead, allow steam to moisten the meat.

• Select only microwave-safe containers to hold the ham roast in the microwave. Unsuitable plastic containers might melt. Thin or damaged glass containers that are not meant for the microwave oven might crack or shatter when heated.

References

• NSF: Food Safety Guidelines For Proper Cooking
• Pork Food Service: Ham Trends
• Ellen's Kitchen: Reheating Cooked Turkey and Ham