There is more than one way to carve a Christmas ham. In fact, there are many easy methods to tackle this job, even without an electric carving knife.
If you have ever felt daunted about carving the butt half, having consistency in the thickness of slices, or wondered how much fat you should leave on the ham, worry no more.
Prepare for the feat by using a large, sturdy wooden chopping board, a long, very sharp knife and a reliable, long-handled fork to keep the ham from slipping as you slice.
Here is how wikiHow suggests you get carving:
1. Place your ham on a cutting board. Take a large knife and trim off two or three slices from the thin side of the ham, cutting parallel to its length. Then turn the ham so it rests on the flat surface you just created by trimming off the slices.
Having a sharp knife will help you to cut your ham in thin, perfect slices. Be sure the knife is long enough to cut through the width of the ham and use long smooth strokes to slice the ham more easily.
2. Use a large fork to stabilise the ham. Pierce the top of the ham with a large fork and insert the fork as far down into the meat as you can. If you hit the bone right away, try moving the fork slightly up or to either side and insert it again. Once the tines are all the way inside the ham, you should have a nice stable handle to hold while making your cuts.
3. Carve the shank end. Hold the ham with a large fork, start slicing at the shank end (which should be more pointed/tapered than the butt end). Cut thin, vertical slices across the ham, sinking the knife all the way down to the bone for maximum effect.
4. Remove the slices. Once the slices are cut, make a horizontal cut that is parallel to the bone. This will release the slices you’ve made. Place these slices on a serving platter. Turn the ham and continue to carve slices using this method until there is no meat left on the bone.
Only carve the ham that you need to serve. Leave the remainder on the bone so that it stays warm and retains more of its juiciness. Be sure to hang on to the ham bone and any scraps. You can use them to make a delicious soup.
To view three other ways to carve a ham, visit the wikiHow site. Alternatively, check out Australian Pork’s tips or browse through the countless YouTube tutorials.
Do you have any tricks for perfectly carving the Christmas ham? How do you present your sliced ham to make it look appealing?
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