The ham’s fresh out of the oven, ready to eat, and mouths are watering. This is no time to lose your cool. But fear not: All you need to carve a ham is a sharp blade and a little advice from The Ham Expert. Watch, learn, and amaze your friends and family.
Carving a Whole Bone-In Ham
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1With the shank or lower leg to the carver's right, steady the ham with a fork and cut a few slices from the thin side of the leg.
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2Place the ham on the side where you removed slices. Make perpendicular slices to the leg bone cutting meat across the grain for maximum tenderness.
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3To loosen the slices, cut along the leg bone, removing each slice with a fork.
Carving a Shank Half or Portion Ham
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1With the thicker piece of the meat on top, use a fork to steady the ham and cut along the top of the bone to loosen the boneless meat.
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2Place the meat carved-side down on the cutting board and cut across the grain of the meat in perpendicular slices. Transfer slices to a serving platter.
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3Turn the remaining meat carved-side down and remove large boneless sections. Place boneless sections, as they are removed, on the cutting board and cut in perpendicular slices. By cutting perpendicular slices across the grain of the meat, you will maximize the tenderness of the ham.
Carving a Butt Half or Portion Ham
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1Place pre-cut side of ham down on the cutting board. Carve along the bone to remove boneless section of meat.
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2Slice boneless section across the grain and transfer to a serving platter.
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3To carve the remaining meat from the bone, insert fork into meat next to bone and make horizontal slices as shown. Transfer slices to a serving platter.
Carving a Carver Ham
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1Identify the direction of the muscle fibers, or grain.
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2Cut perpendicular to the grain.
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3Continue cutting perpendicular to the grain until desired amount is sliced.
