The Tender Half

• Ham is sold in a variety of sizes and cuts, some more tender than others. If you’re only purchasing half a ham, choose the butt half rather than the shank half. The shank half is the lower half of the ham, from a part of the pig where the animal’s muscles are more developed. This makes the meat tough and chewy. The butt half is the upper half of the ham, and this is where you’ll find a section of the hip bone. While that makes it slightly trickier to carve, the meat from this half of the ham is more tender than the meat from the shank.

Cook by Pound

• Before you throw your ham in the oven, get out your calculator and do some quick math to figure out the best baking time. Your ham’s cooking time depends on the type of ham, the cut, the bones and the size. If you cook yours for too long, it can make the meat lose its tenderness. For example, a whole, cooked, smoked ham needs to bake about 15 to 18 minutes per pound. A spiral cut, cooked, smoked ham, on the other hand, may need as little as 10 minutes per pound.

Moisture’s Role

• When you cook a ham, it loses moisture and dries out in the oven. Cook it for too long and it loses too much moisture, leaving it drier and tougher the longer it bakes. To make sure your ham doesn’t dry out when you bake it, remember to fill its pan with at least ½ cup of liquid, like water, stock or wine, and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. After you finally pull it out, let it sit for 20 minutes or so, so that the juices inside the ham settle. If you carve it too soon, the juices will run out and leave it tougher.

Testing for Doneness

• The best way to make sure that your ham is cooked enough to eat -- and to avoid cooking it for too long and making it lose its tenderness -- is to take its temperature. Once your ham reaches its recommended minimum cooking time, take it out of the oven and stick an instant-read meat thermometer as far into the ham as you can without touching the bone. If it is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s safe to eat. Leave it out of the oven so that it doesn’t dry out.