From my experience, the optimal method for cooking a raw ham shank is a slow braise in the oven. This technique allows the meat to break down gradually, resulting in incredibly tender, fall-off-the-bone pork with rich, developed flavors. Towards the end of the cooking process, a blast of high heat helps achieve a wonderfully crispy skin, adding delightful texture. For precooked ham shanks, a shorter baking time combined with a flavorful glaze yields the best results, ensuring the ham is thoroughly heated and beautifully caramelized without drying out.

Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163°C). This lower temperature is crucial for the slow braising process that tenderizes the meat.

Carefully use an X-Acto knife or a sharp utility knife to gently separate the skin from the bottom of the pork shank. Ensure you leave a thin layer of fat attached to the meat, as this will render during cooking and add tremendous flavor. Allow the detached skin to remain as a flap on each side of the shank.

With the same knife, score the skin in a decorative 1-inch diamond pattern. Be precise and avoid cutting into the flesh beneath the fat layer, as this helps the skin crisp up without drying out the meat. Once scored, thoroughly pat the skin dry with paper towels to prepare it for seasoning.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, red wine, and double-concentrated tomato paste until well combined. Pour this flavorful mixture into a small enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Carefully place the seasoned ham shank into the Dutch oven, ensuring the skin side is facing up. It’s ideal to keep the skin elevated slightly out of the braising liquid if possible, to encourage crisping later.

Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid and place it in the preheated oven. Allow the ham shank to braise slowly for 2 hours. While it cooks, prepare your vegetables: chop carrots, onion, and celery into ½-inch (1.27 cm) pieces. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch (2.54 cm) pieces and finely mince the garlic. Season these chopped vegetables generously with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

After the initial two hours of braising, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Tuck the seasoned vegetables around the ham shank in the pot, ensuring they are partially submerged in the braising liquid. Briefly baste the vegetables to coat them in the rich flavors. Cover the pot again and return it to the oven for an additional 30 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften and absorb the delicious aromas.

Once cooking is complete, remove the ham shank from the Dutch oven. Transfer it to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This resting period is crucial for the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring maximum tenderness and flavor.

🤔 How to Cook a Fully Cooked Shank Ham (Smoked or Precooked)

While we’ve explored cooking a raw shank ham, preparing a smoked or fully cooked ham shank is a quicker process that focuses on reheating and glazing. Here’s a simple and delicious recipe for a honey-glazed ham shank:

Bake the covered ham for approximately 20-25 minutes per pound, or until it is thoroughly heated through. About 30 minutes before the ham is expected to be done, carefully remove the foil. Apply a generous layer of your prepared glaze (recipe below) over the ham. Continue to bake the uncovered, glazed ham for an additional 25-30 minutes, allowing the glaze to caramelize and form a beautiful, golden crust.

To make the simple honey glaze: Combine 1 part honey, 1 part melted butter, and 2 parts brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a glossy syrup. This glaze provides a perfect balance of sweetness and richness.

What is ham shank good for? While the raw ham shank recipe above incorporates vegetables primarily for flavor infusion, they aren’t necessarily intended as a side dish. For a complete meal, consider serving your ham shank with classic accompaniments such as creamy mashed potatoes, hearty mushy peas, steamed cabbage, or a fresh green salad to balance the richness.

Beyond being a centerpiece roast, ham shank is exceptionally versatile and highly prized for its use in savory soups. Its bone adds a profound depth of flavor to broths, making it perfect for:

• Comforting ham shank and potato soup
• Traditional ham shank and split pea soup
• Hearty lentil rice soup with ham shanks
• Rich ham shank and bean soup

But the possibilities don’t stop there! You can also incorporate cooked ham shank into a variety of other dishes. Serve slices alongside eggs for a hearty breakfast, dice it into a flavorful stir-fry, or create a classic ham sandwich piled high with mustard and cheese. Another excellent idea is a savory ham shank and beans casserole, offering a warm and filling meal. With so many options, ham shank truly is a culinary chameleon!

Food safety is paramount when cooking pork. According to the USDA guidelines, uncooked fresh ham shank must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C). After reaching this temperature, it is critical to allow the ham to rest for a minimum of 3 minutes before slicing and serving. This resting period not only ensures safety but also helps to redistribute juices, resulting in a more tender and flavorful product.

For precooked hams, which are essentially being reheated, the safety standards are different. These should be treated similarly to leftovers and heated to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to ensure any potential bacteria are eliminated.

• 2 lbs. ham shank raw, bone-in, skin on (907 grams, not smoked)
• ½ tablespoon white vinegar
• ¾ cup chicken stock (reduced sodium or no added salt)
• ¼ cup red wine
• ½ tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• ¼ cup carrots
• ¼ cup onion
• ¼ cup celery
• ½ small potato (choose one with thin skin)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
2. Use an X-Acto knife or utility knife to release the skin from the bottom of the pork shank, leaving a layer of fat on the meat. Leave the cut skin as a flap on each side.
3. Score the skin with the knife into a 1-inch diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Pat the skin dry with paper towels.
4. Brush the skin with vinegar. Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper.
5. Whisk together the chicken stock, wine, and tomato paste. Put this mixture into a small enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Add the ham shank skin-side up. Try to keep the skin out of the liquid.
6. Cover the Dutch oven and allow the ham shank to braise on a rack in the middle of the oven for 2 hours. While it cooks, chop carrots, onion, and celery into ½-inch (1.27 cm) pieces. Chop potatoes into 1-inch (2.54 cm) pieces, and mince the garlic. Season the veggies with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
7. After two hours, tuck the seasoned vegetables into the pot and baste them. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
8. Then take the cover off the Dutch oven, remove the veggies, turn the heat up to 450°F (232°C), and baste the ham shank. Roast for 15-30 minutes, depending how crispy you want the skin. Baste after 15 minutes. The bone should separate easily from the ham shank when it’s done.
9. After cooking, remove the ham shank from the pot and let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

How to Cook Precooked Shank Ham:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Place a large smoked shank ham, cut-side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil.
2. Bake the ham for 20-25 minutes per pound until heated through. One-half hour before the ham is done, uncover the ham and brush on the glaze. Heat the uncovered glazed ham for an additional 25-30 minutes.
3. To make the glaze: 1 part honey, 1 part melted butter, 2 parts brown sugar. Heat over medium heat on stovetop until it becomes a syrup.
4. Let the glazed roast ham shank rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule

This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Is ham shank healthy? As always, the answer to this question depends on what you’re looking for.

Ham shank is a bit leaner than butt portion ham, but it is still rather high in saturated fat. If you’re looking for lean protein, pork tenderloin is a better choice for pork. The lower fat ham options are also lower in calories, and likely a better option if your goal is weight loss.

On the other hand, ham shank is rich in certain vitamins and minerals, including phosphorus, zinc, and many B vitamins. It’s also a high-quality protein that is versatile enough to work well in many dishes.

For the “healthiest” ham shank, I’d opt for a fresh, uncooked ham shank instead of one that’s smoked and cured. The smoked hams are often much higher in sodium, and they may contain added sugar and other additives you don’t want. Additionally, the process of smoking ham creates potentially harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), just as it does in other preserved meats.

Is ham shank good?

If by good, you mean tasty, my answer is a definitive yes! The only way to know for sure though is to try it for yourself and see.

Nutrition information is for one serving of the ham shank only. This recipe yields about 15 ounces of cooked meat in total (425 grams).