Turkey vs Ham – Your holiday guide to choosing the perfect meal. If you’re wondering which protein you should cook this holiday season, be sure to consider all of the cooking methods for each protein when choosing your thanksgiving menu.
There is no easy answer to this debate and honestly, there are many different ways you can cook these meals for your thanksgiving dinner. My hope with this article is to inspire you to try something new and enjoy more flavor in your holiday meal!
Team Ham
Different types of ham – Boneless vs Bone-in ham
Both options provide different benefits and there is honestly no wrong answer.
A boneless pork ham is typically priced more expensive per pound because there is no waste with the weight of the bone. Buying a boneless ham makes it easier knowing exactly how much ham you will need for your party. They are also a lot easier to carve compared to a bone in ham since you don’t need to work around the bone.
Bone-in pork ham is by my favorite because it has better flavor and holds it’s moisture compared to a boneless ham. There are different ways you can use the leftover bone. You can make stock, put it in beans or make a ton of different flavorful soups.
Within the bone-in family of hams, you have a few different options to choose from.
You can pick a spiral cut hams or a whole ham. Spiral cut ham typically cooks quicker and it’s more convenient when carving since it’s pre sliced. A whole ham will take longer to cook, but it typically will stay more moist throughout the cook.
Different ways to cook ham
Method 1: Smoked Ham
The ham you buy from the store comes pre-smoked and already has a ton of flavor in them. Some of them will come with different flavored glaze packets that you can put on top of your ham while cooking it. I personally like to use my own glaze instead of the store product.
If pre smoked ham isn’t enough for you, you can always double smoke it! This is a popular way to cook ham. It provides a deeper level of flavor to your holiday centerpiece and it’s quickly become my favorite way to make ham.
Buy a pre-smoked ham, then take it home and add your own flavors to it using different rubs and sauces such as this Cherry Bourbon Glazed Ham.
Some people like to buy a raw whole ham from the local butcher shop and brine it themselves then smoke it. This is honestly a ton of work and after considering all the time you have invested into this method, I would personally just rather buy a fully cooked ham.
Method 2: Ham cooked in the oven
This method is the most traditional way to cook a ham for a handful of reasons. It’s easy, reliable and not everyone has a smoker or wants an extra smoky taste of ham. Another great benefit of cooking a ham in the oven is you get to smell the delicious aroma throughout your house while enjoying time with your guests.
There is a major convince of cooking the ham in the oven since it’s easily accessible being right in the kitchen. This method of cooking can also take up a lot of space in the oven leaving little room for other side dishes to be cooked in the oven.
Method 3: Deep Fried Ham
This is by far the most unconventional way to cook your ham, but it’s different and delicious!
Like most things deep fried, it really helps to either marinade or inject your protein prior to cooking. For a deep fried ham, I would recommend injecting it with flavor! Since a ham is already cooked, you do not need to soak it longer in salt.
You can inject it with whatever kind of seasoning you want, I would just highly recommend avoiding anything too high in sugar as it will burn.
The deep frying process will not take very long, but it will result in super juicy and delicious ham.