Baked ham pairs admirably with myriad seasonal and regional foods such as asparagus, new potatoes and spring sweet peas, and it's a perfect topping for hot Southern biscuits. Hams are such a common sight in Southern grocery stores that the varieties can make selection a dizzying experience. Generally speaking, a whole ham is the hind leg of a pig, including both the shank and the butt portion. Fully cooked ham will say so on the label. A whole ham will feed about 25 to 30 people, so many cooks and hosts opt to buy either a half ham butt or shank with the bone in, or a boneless ham.
Purists prefer bone-in hams as the bone adds flavor and is useful later for stock.
Also, boned ham has a slightly different texture because its meat must be reshaped. Whether you buy a bone-in, partially boned or deboned ham, check the expiration date first. Also, look at the meat. You should be able to see the grain of the muscle. You always will run the risk of a bone-in ham containing extra fat.