The first time I made a spiral ham I thought, “Well that was easy!” until I started to carve it. I needed to know how to carve a spiral ham. That darn bone in the center and all of the layers falling forward was creating a problem for me. Sure the ham was easy to make, put it in a pan, tent with foil and bake, but now how was I to serve it? And boy did I wish that I had those delicious dipping sauces that I posted last week. Pina Colada dipping sauce and sweet honey mustard? Booyah!
Carving a spiral ham is actually quite easy. I’ve never had a bone so perfectly in the center like this one, but it was fine by me.
How to Carve a Spiral Ham
Step 1: Turn the ham on its bottom, as shown in the picture.
Step 2: Find the bone, and using a large knife, cut around the entire bone.
Step 3: There are natural breaks in the ham, generally where a line of fat is, cut through those breaks as shown in the picture.
Step 4: Lay the pieces out on a platter for serving.
Hi, Thanks for this. I just scored a free 12 pound bone in half ham from Honey Baked Ham yesterday. I have never cut one of these before. I think your instructions are pretty solid. I wish the pictures showed how to cut the individual portions a little more clearly. Anyway, I think I have it from here. Thanks.
“I’ve never had a bone so perfectly in the center…”
Words to live by, Sweet Basil, words to live by.
Anyhoo, thanks for the blog, it came in handy this Thanksgiving, four years later!
Your just not buying the right ham.
In step 1, “it’s” should be “its” as you’re using the possessive, not the “it is” contraction.
ARTHUR!!!!! We are NOT here to nit pick grammar. You certainly must be bored and with a whole lot of time on your hands. We are here for recipes, DIYs. Tips etc…. But NOT spelling. You disrespected her and I’m sure she’s embabarassed now thanks to you. An apology is needed.
Arthur, you are a jerk! :). I am sure there is a place for a grammar Nazi like you in the world, I just can’t imagine where that might be. I know for a fact however, it is not here!! Go bake a ham and get over yourself!
Haha, it’s ok Joanne, we got a good laugh from it since it happens to be one of those things that bugs me when it’s written wrong. I deserved a little humble pie for something that used to bother me. Now I will remember it can happen to anyone when we are tired. haha! Thanks for sticking up for us though. Our readers are so good to us.
NO HAM FOR YOU. End of the line.
Good job Arthur. We can all learn from each other, not just how to make family dinners.
Yes we can, and it was merely a tired mom writing a recipe too late at night mistake, so it has quickly been fixed. Thank you for being kind to him, we weren’t at all offended.
Hi Arthur, thank you for pointing out such a silly error. That’s what happens when you write a recipe late at night, haha. Quite humbling too since that happens to be one of my annoyances when others do it. Haha, now I will be a little more generous instead of being bugged by it.
My family loves those hams. Once you learn how to carve that bad boy it makes it so much easier!!
Carrian, this is THEE most gorgeous ham I’ve ever seen! Haha I barely know how to cut a steak, much less a gorgeous ham like this. And I def. think all that hard work needs a perfectly cut ham rather than me hacking away at it haha.
love this – i always make someone else cut it since I never really knew what to do! 😉 I can act like a grown-up now lol 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family! xoxo
what a brilliant post! so helpful!
Now I want some ham! Mmm. I love that stuff.
thank you…mine always turns into a mess…never thought to put it up on its bottom.
Yum!! I love spiral hams!!!
Me too! They are seriously so perfect for the holidays!
thanks for the tutorial– the way i’ve been cutting mine leaves the ham in jagged pieces
haha, same here. It definitely was not a pretty plating job until I started doing it this way.