Ham for the Holidays A Buyer's Guide for Hams Robin Kline, director of the Pork Information Bureau for the National Pork Producers Council , offers advice for choosing, preparing and storing hams. Nearly all hams come fully cooked and will be labeled so.
Preparation is easy.
If you prefer, serve the ham cold. A bone-in ham will provide two to three servings per pound. A boneless ham will yield four to five servings per pound. Bone-in hams are available whole, or as a shank or butt half. Boneless hams are usually packaged in heavy plastic or foil.