What is a spiral-cut ham?

[Mad Cook]

What is a "spiral cut" ham! I keep hearing you mention it but have no idea what it is. How is it different from any other ham. Is it tunnel-boned? Ready sliced in a special way? Sliced raw to be cooked in separate slices rather than whole? I've run out of ideas.

 

[CraigC]

What is a "spiral cut" ham! I keep hearing you mention it but have no idea what it is. (It may have a different name over here!)

It is a pre-cut ham that is machine cut spirally down the length (imagine standing the ham on end and turning it as it gets cut from top to bottom). Basically for ease of carving, although it does open it up to get your glaze into the meat and not just on top.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm not a big fan of eating a slab of ham; I prefer to cut it up and use it in other recipes. A spiral-sliced ham makes that much easier.

 

[Andy M.]

It is a pre-cut ham that is machine cut spirally down the length (imagine standing the ham on end and turning it as it gets cut from top to bottom). Basically for ease of carving, although it does open it up to get your glaze into the meat and not just on top.

Good description. If you could remove it from the bone in one piece, you'd have a ham slinky.

 

[pacanis]

Fun for a girl or a boy.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Good description. If you could remove it from the bone in one piece, you'd have a ham slinky.

LOL

 

[Harry Cobean]

Fun for a girl or a boy.

but only when supervised by a responsible adult....that's me out.........

 

[Macgyver1968]

I sorta feel sorry for Jewish people and Muslims for missing out on wonderous ham. We use every part of the pig except the "oink".


Hmmm...ham slinky.

but only when supervised by a responsible adult....that (counts) me out.........

Yeah....I let Harry watch the nephew for me, and the kid came back with a tattoo of a pin-up girl on his arm.

 

[Harry Cobean]

I sorta feel sorry for Jewish people and Muslims for missing out on wonderous ham. We use every part of the pig except the "oink".


Hmmm...ham slinky.

yup,i'd just lie on me back,mouth open,at the foot of the stairs...homer simpson style.....mmmmmm,hammmmmm!

 

[Harry Cobean]

Yeah....I let Harry watch the nephew for me, and the kid came back with a tattoo of a pin-up girl on his arm.

guess you're not gonna pay me for baby sitting then,mac...sheesh,ya do a guy a favour & that's all the thanks yer get....

 

[Zagut]

Good description. If you could remove it from the bone in one piece, you'd have a ham slinky.

Thanks Andy. Now I have that Slinky Toy song stuck in my head.


Everyone loves a Slinky.






I always had a hard time getting it to do the stair thing. You think if I tried it with a Spiral-Cut Ham I'd have better luck?

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks Andy. Now I have that Slinky Toy song stuck in my head.

Everyone loves a Slinky.

I always had a hard time getting it to do the stair thing. You think if I tried it with a Spiral-Cut Ham I'd have better luck?

Only if you take the bone out first. Otherwise it will just go klunk.

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

Thanks Andy. Now I have that Slinky Toy song stuck in my head.

Everyone loves a Slinky.

I always had a hard time getting it to do the stair thing. You think if I tried it with a Spiral-Cut Ham I'd have better luck?

Oh jeez, I wish you hadn't mentioned the slinky song.......sigh

 

[Mad Cook]

Good description. If you could remove it from the bone in one piece, you'd have a ham slinky.

So is it carved before cooking? It sounds as though some of you cook the ham after it's carved into the spiral. Doesn't that make it dry?

 

[Kayelle]

So is it carved before cooking? It sounds as though some of you cook the ham after it's carved into the spiral. Doesn't that make it dry?

You betcha it makes it dry MC. Although the hams are fully cooked, by the time one gets it up to serving hot in the oven it's all dried out. Just the reason I'll never buy one again.

 

[Dawgluver]

It comes already carved into a spiral. The slices stick together well enough so that it's not dry, just like an intact ham. You can feather the spiral slices enough that the glaze (should you want one) will penetrate the slices.

Sheesh, sounds like 50 Shades of Ham.....

Just saw your response, Kayelle, you beat me to it! I've never had a problem with dry spiral cut. We're gifted with one every year.

 

[pacanis]

Over here our hams are already cooked, at least the smoked ones are (as opposed to a "fresh" ham or "picnic" ham). Really all we are doing is warming them through.
I had a spiral once and it was moist.

 

[Kayelle]

Looks like we posted at the same time Dawg.

Seems spiral hams are the one thing in the world we don't agree on.

 

[Dawgluver]

Maybe you got a not-so-good one, Kayelle! We're gifted with the HyVee store brand, Fricks, and have always had great luck with them. And then there's that soup bone

 

[GotGarlic]

I get smoked Smithfield spiral-cut ham. As I mentioned, I generally use it in recipes like scalloped ham and potatoes or ham and cheese sandwiches, so dryness isn't an issue. And oh yeah, the soup bone. I still have one in the freezer. When DH goes back to work after the holidays, we'll make a split-pea soup in the slow cooker and he can take it to work for lunch.