How to carve the perfect Christmas ham

Ham is a staple item on the menu come Christmas day, but many won’t know how to prepare or serve the ham once it has cooked. Here’s a fail-safe guide on how to carve one this Christmas.

What will you need? Along with your ham, you will need a sharp knife and a roasting fork to hold the ham while you cut.

1. Peel back the skin/rind of the ham by using small, gentle strokes. If you have cooked the ham, leave most of the fat underneath the skin, on (serving uncooked ham will involved cutting most of the fat off).

2. Once you have done this, you will be able to carve. Start from the rump (the meaty end) and make 1-2cm wide vertical slices until you hit the bone.

3. Before you make it halfway across the ham, you will hit the hock bone. This is where the meat is on both sides of the bone, and you will need to change from carving vertically to horizontally.

To avoid the ham moving around as you do this, you can make it easier by cutting a small slice horizontally from the bottom of the ham so that it will sit evenly on a flat surface and not ‘rock’ as you carve.

4. Place sliced ham on a plate to serve.