How To Cut A Spiral Ham Like A Pro

Spiral ham is a holiday delicacy that often comes pre-cooked, pre-sliced, and ready to warm and eat. The butchers do much of the work to make the elegant slices — they slice the leg cut down to the bone and in a spiral from one end to the other. Despite the fancy cut, the ham still needs to be carved before serving. That's because the spiral cutting doesn't remove the bone; that job is left to the person carving the ham. Luckily, there is a quick and easy way to do so. 

Start with a cutting board big enough to fit the ham, juices and some space to maneuver. Then, grab a carving knife, a serving fork, and a platter or dish to serve the ham. Once the tools are gathered, get the ham and place it on the cutting board. The ham's bone should be parallel with the cutting board, with the bone showing on the front (sliced end) of the ham. Use the knife to slice around the bone on the front of the ham, freeing the meat from the bone. The slices will begin to fall onto the cutting board. Use the serving fork to gather slices and take them to the platter or serving plate. 

There are a few things to consider as you prep the kitchen and the ham for cutting like a pro. The first and most important is rest. A ham should never be sliced fresh out of the oven. Like any other roasted meat, a spiral ham needs time to rest, so the meat relaxes and the juices redistribute throughout the cut. Let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before first cutting into it. If you slice it fresh out of the oven, all the juices will pool on the cutting board, producing dry ham.

Another consideration is the boneless spiral ham. Most spiral hams are bone-in hams, but there are boneless varieties at the stores as well. While less common, boneless hams are just as easy to cut as the bone-in spiral hams. There isn't a bone to slice around. Instead, the ham meat must be carved into enough to make the spiral slices while keeping the meat connected until it is served. So the carver at the dinner table only has to make horizontal cuts to free the spiral slices and to cut the ham to a desired size for serving. 

Begin by setting the ham on the cutting board. Slice along the natural muscle breaks or seams located on the front end of the ham. Or make cuts horizontally until slices fall onto the cutting board. Use the serving fork as needed to steady the ham while slicing and to place the free pieces onto the platter.