24 fresh ham recipes

A big fresh ham roasted for hours, then stuffed with spicy Italian sausage and cooked until fork-tender. The pan drippings make a rich, savory gravy. Feeds a crowd with just two ingredients.

Pork shoulder marinates for days in red wine, warming spices, and orange zest, then roasts until fork-tender in this historic Tudor-era feast centerpiece.

Stir-fried rice loaded with chicken, shrimp, ham, peas, and sweet pineapple chunks, served right inside a hollowed-out pineapple. A showstopping Thai fried rice that tastes as wild as it looks.

Fresh fruit pizza cookie with a chocolate chip cookie crust, vanilla cream cheese spread, and a colorful topping of pineapple, kiwi, bananas, and raspberries glazed with apricot jam.

Roast ham with crackling slow-roasts a fresh ham or pork shoulder at low temperature, scoring the rind into a crackling-crisp golden crust. Three ingredients, no basting required.

Old-school sugar-cured ham dry rub: salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. A three-ingredient Southern heirloom mix for curing fresh ham the traditional way at home.

Apricot horseradish sauce whisked together in five minutes from jam, fresh horseradish, and lime juice. A sweet-and-fiery dipping sauce for ham, smoked salmon, or roast pork that keeps for weeks.

Traditional Cherokee succotash with lima beans, fresh-cut corn, and smoky ham hocks simmered low and slow with bacon drippings. A hearty, soul-warming side dish.

Authentic Tuscan bean soup with cannellini, savoy cabbage, fresh herbs, and a rich ham and salt pork soffritto. Ladled over toasted Italian bread with a drizzle of olive oil.

Charleston okra soup, the Lowcountry classic with simmered ham bone, fresh tomatoes, okra, bacon, and bell pepper. Ladled over rice for a true Carolina supper.

Texas caviar made from dried black beans slow-simmered with a smoky ham hock, then tossed with sauteed peppers, onions, and fresh tomatoes. A Lone Star classic side dish.

Pressure cooker collard greens with butter beans, white wine, bay leaves, and fresh hot peppers. Southern comfort without the ham hock, ready in 30 minutes.

A no-cook Southern-style salad with black-eyed peas, chopped ham, celery, red onion, and fresh jalapeño in a tangy red wine vinegar dressing. Ready in minutes, feeds a crowd, and gets better as it sits.

Italian-style lentil soup with diced ham, fresh tomatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaf simmered into a hearty, protein-rich pot. Top each bowl with grated Parmesan for restaurant flavor.

Stuffed mushrooms filled with smoked ham, garlic, white wine, and fresh herbs, then broiled with melted cheese. A Mexican-inspired appetizer with a crispy, savory bite.

Hearty thirteen-bean soup with smoked pork, black beans, tomatoes, and a splash of sherry. Half pureed for a thick, creamy texture with whole beans in every spoonful.