1. Ham can be soaked in hot water overnight to remove salt. If you soak your ham, be sure to change water before cooking.
2. Remove ham from the cloth bag.
3. Remove parchment paper. Do not remove netting.
4. Inspect the ham. If there is mold on the outside, just scrub off under cool water.
5. Place ham in a kettle of water that has been heated to 190 degrees F. This is a slow simmer, showing small bubbles. Not boiling.
6. Cook about 4 hours. This is 20 minutes per pound for a 15 pound ham. Adjust the cooking time based on the weight.
7. Grab the netting by the clip and remove the ham from the water. Place it on a tray and test the temperature with an internal meat thermometer. It should be 155 degrees F, so that it will peak at 160 degrees F after it completes cooking out of the water.
8. You can view an instructional video below.
9.
Professional chef demonstrates in video how to cook a classic Virginia Country Ham in water and large kettle.