Several years ago I decided to go out on a limb and prepare my Christmas ham in the crock pot. I was taking a bit of a risk- I mean, the holiday dinner could have gone very wrong, however it was a complete success! Since then I plan on cooking all hams in the crock pot as it frees up the oven and produces a deliciously juicy ham.
I use the word "cooking" but really, any ham you buy in the grocery store is pre-cooked, so all you really need to do is warm it up. However warming up a 10-lb piece of meat without drying it out is easier said than done. Hence the crock pot method- it's the perfect environment for tender, juicy ham.
Cooking a Ham in the Crock Pot
You will need:
- a large crock pot {mine is a 7-quart}
- a ham {bone-in or out, sliced- it doesn't matter, all hams will work!}
- 1 can sliced pineapple
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 4-6 hours of time
First, turn your crock pot on to get it heating up. I like to turn mine on high, then adjust the temp once I put the food inside.
Next, make sure your ham will fit. As I said before, ham from a grocery store is pre-cooked. So if your ham doesn't fit, simply cut a portion off and refrigerate it or freeze it for later use. I like to use diced ham in omelets and other dishes so I dice any ham that doesn't fit.
Once you're certain your ham will fit inside with the lid on, place it in the crock pot.
Open the can of sliced pineapple and drain the juice out into a separate bowl. You will use all of the juice! Measure out your 1/3 cup of brown sugar and add it to the pineapple juice, whisking to dissolve. Add in the 1/2 tsp of ground cloves and whisk to combine.
Arrange the slices of pineapple all over the surface of your ham. Pour the sugar-clove-pineapple juice mixture on top.
Replace the lid on the crock pot and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. I had about 7-lbs of my 10lb ham in the crock pot and I cooked mine for 5 hours. It was super moist and had a lovely sweet flavor.
Enjoy!
