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    Home Β» Ham Β» How is Boneless Ham Made

    How is Boneless Ham Made

    Published: Apr 12, 2022 by Eric Samuelson

    Ever wonder how a boneless ham is made? Learn how it's done and the different types boneless hams. Should you even consider buying a boneless ham?

    Farmland Hickory Smoked whole boneless ham and portion hams at a grocery store.

    Ham is a choice of many households, whether it be for Christmas or Easter dinner. What is not to love about something that will feed a lot of people and can be had for a couple to a few dollars a pound.

    The supermarkets are packed full of different types of ham. You may see them advertising a ham that has no bones. If you see such a ham should you buy it or run for your life?

    Learn what a boneless ham is and how it is made.

    Jump to:
    • ❓ What is a Boneless Ham?
    • πŸ– Types of Boneless Hams
    • πŸ‘πŸ‘Ž Pros & Cons
    • ⭐ Recommendation
    • 🐽 More Ham Posts
    Kirkland Master Carve Boneless Ham cooked and covered with a glaze in a roasting pan.

    ❓ What is a Boneless Ham?

    Simply it's a ham with no bones. The reason behind them is to make it easier to carve for the home cook. However it's not as simple as that anymore. In recent years a different type of boneless ham has come on the market.

    Farmland Hickory Smoked Boneless Ham & water Product at the grocery store.

    πŸ– Types of Boneless Hams

    Here are the two types of boneless hams.

    • Reconstituted Ham - meat is removed from the bone and then shaped into the shape of a log, contains modified food starch. Either comes in a whole ham or portions of. These hams are labeled as ham & water product.
    • Carving Ham - the meat is cut off the bone without the shape of the ham being altered. Kirkland Master Carve is one example. I have also gotten this type of ham at ALDI and Kroger. Often considered a ham in nature juices.

    RELATED - What are the Different Types of Ham?

    πŸ‘πŸ‘Ž Pros & Cons

    πŸ‘ Pro - Easy to carve

    Since there is no bone to carve around, these hams are simply just sliced like you would a stick of butter!

    πŸ‘Ž Con - No bone for soup

    One of the best things about having a ham bone is to make soup with it later on. You will be denied this by getting a boneless ham.

    πŸ‘ Pro - Easier to store in the fridge

    Either type of boneless ham is going to be easier to fit into the fridge because of their flatten shape.

    πŸ‘Ž Con - In the case of reconstituted hams, you have to add non-natural ingredients to them to keep them together.

    This is a point that Alton Brown made on an episode of Good Eats, if the ham is boneless what is holding the meat together? A "carving ham" is different in that you just need to remove it from the bone just like a boneless ribeye steak.

    πŸ‘Ž Con - The price of some boneless hams can be more than a traditional bone-in ham.

    You will often pay more per pound for a boneless ham in either style. The extra labor involved with making them is why.

    Kirkland Applewood Smoked Master Carve Half Ham in package at a Costco store.

    ⭐ Recommendation

    A reconstituted boneless ham I find lacking in flavor. And the texture is different. It's more manufactured. The modified food starch added to jell the meat, make it more like ham jelly! I don't recommend them.

    However the carving style ham that just has the bone removed, can be a good option for your dinner table. They still taste like a real ham and they are simple to carve. Even though they often are more expensive per pound, you are getting all useable meat. They don't have lots of fatty pieces.

    I never recommend boneless hams at all until I first had a "carving ham". Now we often get them as Costco sells them for a good price that sometimes is cheaper than their bone-in spiral ham. I do still cook up a bone-in shank ham from time to time.

    🐽 More Ham Posts

    Want to learn more about ham? Check out these posts.

    • What Ingredients are in Ham?
    • Can You Cook a Ham in the Instant Pot?
    • How to Keep a Spiral Ham from Drying Out
    • What to Serve with Easter Ham
    • How Far in Advance to Buy a Ham?
    • How to Freeze Ham
    « Can You Freeze Leftover Ham (and Bone)?
    Homemade Glaze for Kirkland Master Carve Ham »

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    Nice to Meet You,

    Hi! I'm Eric : Father of 4, living just south of Ann Arbor, MI. I'm a reformed picky eater finding a new way to not conform. Eating what's in season is my jam (I also make it!)

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